Sexual Assaulthttps://www.thisisinsider.com/category/sexual-assault
en-usThu, 21 Mar 2019 12:12:32 -0400Thu, 21 Mar 2019 12:12:32 -0400The latest news on Sexual Assault from INSIDERhttps://static3.thisisinsider.com/assets/images/bilogo-250x36-wide-rev.pngBusiness Insiderhttps://www.thisisinsider.com
https://www.thisisinsider.com/thousands-female-economists-sexually-assaulted-discriminated-against-by-colleagues-2019-3Thousands of female economists say they've been sexually assaulted or discriminated against by colleagueshttps://www.thisisinsider.com/thousands-female-economists-sexually-assaulted-discriminated-against-by-colleagues-2019-3
Tue, 19 Mar 2019 19:48:00 -0400Gina Heeb
<p><img src="https://static1.thisisinsider.com/image/5c917391d2ce78468a704688-800/feds-yellen-says-solid-economic-growth-means-more-rate-hikes-ahead.jpg" border="0" alt="U.S. outgoing Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen holds a news conference after a two-day Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting in Washington, U.S. December 13, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst" data-mce-source="Thomson Reuters" data-mce-caption="Yellen holds a news conference in Washington" /></p><p></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>In a new survey, women working in the economics field described a workplace that is hostile and even unsafe at times.</strong></li>
<li><strong>More than 250 female economists said in the survey that a colleague had sexually assaulted them or attempted to do so over the past decade, while thousands reported harassment and discrimination.&nbsp;</strong></li>
<li><strong>Reports of bias against race and sexual orientation were also seen in the results.</strong></li>
</ul>
<hr />
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Female economists have for years dealt with pervasive sexual misconduct and discrimination in workplaces across the US, according to a new report&nbsp;highlighting unequal treatment in a field dominated by white men. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In an <a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/resources/member-docs/climate-survey-results-mar-18-2019">American Economic Association survey</a> released this week, women in the economics field described a workplace that was hostile and even unsafe at times. Widespread reports of bias against gender, race, and sexual orientation were also seen in the results, which were gathered last year from more than 9,000 economists. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I consider the findings in the AEA survey highly disturbing," said Janet Yellen, the former chair of the Federal Reserve and president-elect of the association. "They show that all too many women in the profession consider the climate unconducive to their success, and there are an unacceptably large number of reports of outright sexual harassment."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">More than 250 female economists said in the survey that a colleague had sexually assaulted them or attempted to do so throughout their careers. Nearly 2,000, meanwhile, said they had been subjected to inappropriate sexual remarks or unwanted advances in the workplace.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img src="https://static1.thisisinsider.com/image/5c917391d2ce78468a704689-1200/gender.png" border="0" alt="gender" data-mce-source="Yutong Yuan/Business Insider" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These issues have come into focus in recent months, most recently in 2018 when a prominent Harvard economist </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/18/business/economy/roland-fryer-harvard.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">resigned</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> over sexual harassment allegations from staff. About a year earlier, a University of California at Berkeley </span><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/v6q7gfcbv9feef5/Wu_EJMR_paper.pdf?dl=0"><span style="font-weight: 400;">study</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> found overwhelming hostility toward female economists online. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The most recent findings only confirm what many in the field have suspected for awhile, said Jason Furman, a Harvard University professor who served as a top economic adviser to former President Barack Obama. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"It is not so much a wake up call as a continued ringing of the alarm which started going off a year or so ago," he said. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While an increasing number of women have joined related fields in recent years, gender gaps have mostly persisted in economics. The rate of women studying to become professional economists has barely budged over the past decade and a half, according to a separate AEA </span><a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/content/file?id=6388"><span style="font-weight: 400;">report</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> from 2017. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Economists say that has created an echo chamber of sorts, limiting voices in teaching and research. Nearly 70% of women in the survey felt their work wasn't taken as seriously as their colleagues, compared with less than half of men. Some even passed up opportunities in the field, with nearly half declining to speak at conferences or ask questions in order to avoid possible harassment.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img src="https://static5.thisisinsider.com/image/5c917391d2ce78468a70468a-1200/race.png" border="0" alt="race" data-mce-source="Yutong Yuan/Business Insider" /></span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mary Lovely, an economist at Syracuse University and a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said that while discrimination has become more subtle over the years, it still hangs over her day to day work. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Many men believe they themselves are not part of the problem, yet they continue to organize sessions without any women authors or discussants," she said. "And I still am present at meetings where women's views are heard and then trivialized."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The AEA </span><a href="https://www.aeaweb.org/news/member-announcements-mar-18-2019"><span style="font-weight: 400;">announced</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> several measures Monday designed to combat issues found in the survey, vowing to address both overt and more subtle cases of harassment and discrimination in economics. Those include an updated code of conduct and enforcement rules, as well as plans to hire an association official to deal with complaints and investigations. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"It is time for the profession to change, even if some parts of it have to be prodded into better behavior," Lovely said.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Women aren't the only ones dealing with a hostile environment in economics. Less than a third of minority economists said their race was respected in the field. More than 90% of those who don&rsquo;t identify as straight felt that their sexual orientation was not accepted. Many of these groups recalled dodging opportunities or social events out of fear of harassment and discrimination, reports rare among white and heterosexual men in the survey.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I was stunned," said Austan Goolsbee, who was chair of the Council of Economic Advisers in the Obama White House. "The report is awful. The profession has to do better at protecting and supporting people. It's inexcusable."</span></p><p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/thousands-female-economists-sexually-assaulted-discriminated-against-by-colleagues-2019-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/new-orleans-crazy-drink-capital-of-the-world-2017-5">New Orleans is the wild drink capital of the world — here's what you need to try</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/tripadvisor-backlash-sexual-assault-response-2019-3142,000 people have signed a petition calling for TripAdvisor to change its policies after the company reportedly instructed a woman to write a review of the tour guide she said raped herhttps://www.thisisinsider.com/tripadvisor-backlash-sexual-assault-response-2019-3
Tue, 19 Mar 2019 16:27:05 -0400Kate Taylor
<p><img src="https://static2.thisisinsider.com/image/59fa2f1b9361af3d040ac523-1778/56099bc29dd7cc1d008bda75.jpg" border="0" alt="tripadvisor" data-mce-source="Shutterstock" /></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/tripadvisor">TripAdvisor</a> is facing backlash for its response to reports of sexual assault.&nbsp;</li>
<li>One woman started a petition that has been signed more than 142,000 times, calling for TripAdvisor to change its policies after she says she was raped by a tour guide she found through the service.&nbsp;</li>
<li>The woman says that when she asked TripAdvisor to help her warn others about the tour guide, the company suggested that she leave a review.&nbsp;</li>
<li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tripadvisor-sexual-assault-claims-reviews-2019-3">The Guardian reported earlier this month</a> that it found more than 40 instances in which people had reported sexual assault in TripAdvisor reviews, many of which were buried under other reviews.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<p>TripAdvisor is facing backlash for its response to women who reported sexual assaults linked to people and businesses they found through the service.&nbsp;</p>
<p>As of Tuesday, more than 142,000 people have signed a <a href="https://www.change.org/p/tripadvisor-stop-covering-up-sexual-assaults">Change.org petition</a> calling for TripAdvisor to "Stop covering up sexual assaults."&nbsp;</p>
<p>The petition was started last week by K., a woman who wishes to remain anonymous, after she told TripAdvisor that she had been raped by a tour guide with top reviews on the service.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"My assault was deeply traumatic and probably one of the worst things I've ever experienced," K. writes on the Change.org page. "But the humiliation I was put through when I turned to TripAdvisor for help was almost worse."</p>
<p>K. writes that when she asked TripAdvisor to help her warn others about the tour guide, the company suggested that she leave a review.&nbsp;</p>
<p>"Not only was this solution woefully inadequate to warn other tourists &mdash; my one star review would quickly get lost among minor complaints about the guide &mdash; but it required me to relive the painful details of my assault and out myself publicly in a place where my assailant could likely find me," K. writes in the petition.&nbsp;</p>
<p>TripAdvisor said in a statement it "absolutely disagrees with the premise of the accusations made."</p>
<p>"It&rsquo;s a horrible tragedy when someone experiences a safety issue like a sexual or physical assault," the company said in a statement. "In fact, for more than a decade, TripAdvisor has enabled survivors of sexual assault to courageously tell their stories, which have in turn served as warnings to millions of travelers across the globe. We continuously work to find the right balance between honoring a survivor&rsquo;s privacy and making the TripAdvisor platform helpful to travelers."</p>
<p>K. is not the only person highlighting issues with TripAdvisor's policies, which encourage users to write reviews to provide safety warnings. Earlier in March, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/05/hotels-at-centre-of-allegations-promoted-on-tripadvisor">The Guardian reported</a> that &mdash; in addition to K.'s account &mdash; it uncovered 40 more examples of "reviews describing sexual assault, rape and groping committed by staff members of highly-rated hotels and other travel businesses."&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tripadvisor-sexual-assault-claims-reviews-2019-3">2 women are accusing TripAdvisor of telling them to detail their rape allegations in negative reviews instead of flagging the businesses</a></em></p>
<p>A TripAdvisor representative said the company does not remove business listings and instead allows reviews so that customers can have "a transparent record of travelers' experiences at that location."</p>
<p>"TripAdvisor believes that every person impacted by a traveler safety issue, including sexual assault, has the right to write a first-hand account about their experience. Even a brief, non-descriptive mention that a traveler experienced an assault can serve as a powerful warning to the global travel community," the statement said.</p>
<p>According to the company, TripAdvisor features thousands of reviews about traveler safety incidents, including sexual assault. These reviews are "searchable and available" to all users.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Critics of this policy point out that reviews highlighting sexual assault or other safety issues can be buried by other reviews. One woman who told The Guardian she had been raped in a hotel in the Caribbean took issue with TripAdvisor's solution, which would lump her response alongside one-star reviews complaining about dirty bed sheets.&nbsp;</p>
<p>TripAdvisor has noted that being listed on the site is not an endorsement. A TripAdvisor spokesperson told INSIDER earlier in March that leaving a review is the best way for other travelers to be alerted of incidents at the hotel, because the company does not monitor every business listed on the site individually.</p>
<p>"No one wants to relive a horrible experience, but that's the best way for other travelers to be alerted," the spokesperson said.</p>
<p>In 2017, TripAdvisor launched a temporary badge that would flag hotels and resorts that had been reported for sexual assault and other safety concerns. <span>The travel website </span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tripadvisor-rape-assault-reviews-deleted-report-2017-11">came under fire</a><span>&nbsp;after a number of users reported having their accounts of rape and assault removed from the site, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tripadvisor-warning-hotels-sexual-assault-2017-11">Business Insider reported</a> at the time.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span>"TripAdvisor continues to iterate on new and better ways to make important health and safety information more visible and available to protect travelers," the company said in a statement on Wednesday. "We will be sharing more information in the coming days about the ways in which we are continuing to evolve our policies, processes and product to be sure we are helping to keep travelers safe."</span></p><p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/tripadvisor-backlash-sexual-assault-response-2019-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hidden-meanings-behind-j-coles-middle-child-video-explained-2019-2">All the hidden meanings behind J. Cole's 'Middle Child' video explained</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/italian-men-cleared-of-rape-charges-because-alleged-victim-looked-too-masculine-2019-3Two men in Italy were just cleared of rape charges because the alleged victim looked “too masculine”https://www.thisisinsider.com/italian-men-cleared-of-rape-charges-because-alleged-victim-looked-too-masculine-2019-3
Tue, 12 Mar 2019 12:32:32 -0400Nicole Einbinder
<p><img src="https://static1.thisisinsider.com/image/5c87d9bdeb3ce8305a4f2144-2400/gettyimages-1126127403.jpg" border="0" alt="GettyImages 1126127403" data-mce-source="DEA / M. BORCHI / Getty" data-mce-caption="Aerial view of the Church of Sts Peregrine and Teresa, Ancona, Marche, 18th century."></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li>Protests broke out in Italy on Monday following news that two men were cleared of rape charges in 2017 because their alleged victim was "too masculine."</li>
<li>Three female judges acquitted the men and claimed the woman's story must not be credible because she didn't look feminine enough and wasn't considered attractive by her alleged attackers.</li>
<li>The case has sparked outrage in Italy and raised questions about the treatment of rape victims. Almost one in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence in the country, <a href="https://eige.europa.eu/publications/combating-violence-against-women-italy">according to a report from the European Institute for Gender Equality</a>.</li>
</ul>
<p>Two men were cleared of rape charges in 2017 because the alleged victim was "too masculine," sparking protests in the Italian city of Ancona on Monday.</p>
<p>Demonstrators gathered outside the court in Ancona, a seaside Italian town located off the Adriatic coast, shouting "for shame!" and accusing the Italian justice system of a "witch hunt," <a href="https://www.thelocal.it/20190312/italian-rape-case-collapses-as-judges-rule-victim-too-masculine">according to video footage from Italian media.</a></p>
<p>The men allegedly attacked and raped the 22-year-old woman in 2015 and were convicted the following year, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/11/men-acquitted-of-charges-because-victim-judged-too-masculine">according to The Guardian</a>. They were then acquitted by the Ancona appeals court after the three judges — who were all female — said the woman's story must not be credible because she didn't look feminine enough and wasn't deemed attractive by her alleged attackers.</p>
<p>The judges also acknowledged that it was "not possible to exclude the possibility that it was" the alleged victim who organized the evening that led to her ultimately being drugged and raped, <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/protests-in-italy-after-men-cleared-of-rape-because-victim-looked-masculine">according to SBS News.</a> The judges wrote that the alleged perpetrators "didn't even like the girl, to the point of having stored her number in his phone under the nickname 'Viking,' an allusion to an anything but feminine figure, rather a masculine one."</p>
<p>The judges claimed that a photograph of the woman, present in her file, helped them reach their decision.</p>
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Indigna che si continui a valutare la donna vittima di violenza anziche' l'autore della violenza. Oggi anche <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CGIL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CGIL</a> Marche ad Ancona al flashmob <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/siamotuttiVikingo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#siamotuttiVikingo</a> con <a href="https://twitter.com/RebelNtwk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RebelNtwk</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/cislmarche?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cislmarche</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/rassegna_it?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rassegna_it</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SusannaCamusso?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SusannaCamusso</a> <a href="https://t.co/7menz7YVW4">https://t.co/7menz7YVW4</a> <a href="https://t.co/d0jETWObg5">pic.twitter.com/d0jETWObg5</a> <a href="https://t.co/pHYq6Qvek2">pic.twitter.com/pHYq6Qvek2</a> </p>— CGIL Marche (@cgil_marche) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1105200506450989057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2019</a>
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<p>The 2017 ruling came to light on Friday when Italy's highest appeal court scrapped the lower court's verdict and ordered a retrial. The case will be reheard by a court in Perugia, around two hours away from Ancona.</p>
<p>Almost one in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence in Italy, <a href="https://eige.europa.eu/publications/combating-violence-against-women-italy">according to a report from the European Institute for Gender Equality</a>, and five percent of women have been a victim of rape or attempted rape. The government enacted a national plan against gender-based violence and stalking in 2010, as well as the 2015 'Special plan against sexual violence and gender-based violence,' which expanded women's support services, to address these issues.</p>
<p>But, problems remain with how rape victims are treated in Italy. Cinzia Molinaro, the woman's attorney, told the Guardian that her client moved back to Peru, where she is originally from, after facing backlash from the community for reporting her abusers.</p>
<p>"It was distgusting to read," Molinaro told the Guardian. "The judges expressed various reasons for deciding to acquit them, but one was because the [defendants] said they didn't even like her, because she was ugly."</p>
<p>Luisia Rizzitelli, a spokesperson for Rebel Network, the women's rights group that organized Monday's protest, described the judges' ruling as medieval, telling the Guardian "the worst thing is the cultural message that came from three female judges who acquitted these two men because they decided it was improbable that they would want to rape someone who looked masculine."</p>
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Signore Giudici, lo <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/stupro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#stupro</a> non soddisfa un desiderio di piacere, ma un abominevole odio e disprezzo della vittima. Lo <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/stupro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#stupro</a> non dipende da quanto sei femminile, ma dall’odio che anima i mostri che lo agiscono. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ancona?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ancona</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Vergogna?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Vergogna</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/11marzo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#11marzo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/flashmob?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#flashmob</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MarchePride?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarchePride</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/cgil_marche?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@cgil_marche</a> </p>— Rebel Network (@RebelNtwk) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1104992930173984769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2019</a>
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<p>"Rape does not fulfill a desire for pleasure, but an abominable hatred and contempt for the victim," Rebel Network <a href="https://www.thelocal.it/20190312/italian-rape-case-collapses-as-judges-rule-victim-too-masculine">posted on Twitter</a>. "It does not depend on how feminine you are, but on the hatred inside the rapist." </p>
<ul class="read-more-links">
<li>Read more:</li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/steam-blocks-rape-day-game-release-2019-3">After days of backlash, a video game about rape has been pulled from the world's biggest PC gaming store for posing 'unknown costs and risks'</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/a-global-look-at-the-catholic-churchs-sex-abuse-problem-2019-2">A global look at the Catholic Church's sex abuse problem</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/italian-bonds-investors-cant-get-enough-of-the-struggling-countrys-debt-2019-2">Italy has plunged into recession, but investors are still falling over themselves to get involved</a></li>
</ul><p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/italian-men-cleared-of-rape-charges-because-alleged-victim-looked-too-masculine-2019-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/best-9-things-to-do-in-puerto-rico-2019-1">Puerto Rico was named the No. 1 place to travel this year. Here are 9 of the best ways to see the island</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/steam-blocks-rape-day-game-release-2019-3After days of backlash, a video game about rape has been pulled from the world's biggest PC gaming store for posing 'unknown costs and risks'https://www.thisisinsider.com/steam-blocks-rape-day-game-release-2019-3
Wed, 06 Mar 2019 17:34:34 -0500Kevin Webb
<p><img src="https://static2.thisisinsider.com/image/5c804b912730ca039f70f141-1920/screenshot%2010.png" border="0" alt="Rape Day Steam Screenshot" data-mce-source="&amp;quotRape Day&amp;quot/Desk Plant" data-mce-caption="&amp;quotRape Day&amp;quot is a visual novel game with still images and story choices, but no animation or voice acting."></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/steam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steam</a> is no longer planning to allow the controversial video game "Rape Day" to be released on its PC gaming platform.</strong></li>
<li><strong>The game, created by the indie developer Desk Plant, was originally scheduled for an April release on Steam.</strong></li>
<li><strong>"Rape Day" is a visual novel featuring still images of graphic sexual violence against women; the game was available for preview on Steam for three weeks with 25 screenshots that included scenes of rape and women held at gunpoint.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Following public backlash, Steam released a statement saying "Rape Day" will not ship on Steam because of "unknown costs and risks." The company maintains that it will continue to review controversial games on a case-by-case basis to protect the interests of developers.</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Steam, the most popular platform for PC gaming, will no longer release "Rape Day," a controversial video game from the indie developer Desk Plant centered around committing sexual violence against women. While the game was viewable in the Steam store for weeks and was scheduled for an April 2019 release, Steam now says "Rape Day" presents "unknown costs and risks" to its business.</p>
<p>In the past, Steam has been vocal about its desire to protect the free-speech interests of the developers who release their games on the platform. Last year, after pulling a game called "Active Shooter," which simulated a school shooting, Steam said it would strive to allow any game on the platform regardless of content, so long as it wasn't "<a href="https://steamcommunity.com/games/593110/announcements/detail/1666776116200553082" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illegal, or straight up trolling</a>."</p>
<p>The creator of "Rape Day," Desk Plant, said they followed Steam's policies and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rape-day-steam-free-speech-censorship-2019-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disclosed the game's offensive content</a> before it was listed on the store. Like other games with sexual content, "Rape Day" was hidden from Steam's usual search results, but searching the exact title, or the word rape alone, would allow users to see and access the game's Steam listing. Users were not able to prepurchase the game, but they could add it to the wish list while Steam completed their content review.</p>
<p><em><strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rape-day-steam-free-speech-censorship-2019-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A video game about rape is testing the free-speech policies of the most popular PC gaming store</a></em></p>
<p>"Rape Day's" apparent glorification of sexual violence sparked immediate backlash from members of the media and the public. The game was repeatedly criticized for promoting violence against women and normalizing rape, and a Change.org petition calling for the game to be blocked from Steam <a href="https://www.change.org/p/valve-corporation-stop-steam-games-video-game-rape-day-from-hitting-the-market" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gained more than 7,000 signatures</a>.</p>
<p>Some outraged Steam users pledged not to buy any more games until "Rape Day" was removed from the store.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, a separate contingent of Steam users formed to defend the game on the grounds of free speech and censorship. Both sides eventually met on the game's Steam community hub, where heated debates signaled a larger cultural clash forming around the game. As the controversy swelled, the landing page for "Rape Day" became one of the top Google results when searching the word "Steam." </p>
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Jesus christ, Steam. <a href="https://t.co/no6ZShtu4T">pic.twitter.com/no6ZShtu4T</a> </p>— Steven Messner will be at GDC (@stevenmessner) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1103335303165558784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2019</a>
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</div>
<p>In Steam's statement announcing that "Rape Day" would not be released on its platform, the company did not specifically condemn the depiction of sexual violence but said the content of "Rape Day" presents "unknown costs and risks." </p>
<p><span>"We respect developers' desire to express themselves, and the purpose of Steam is to help developers find an audience, but this developer has chosen content matter and a way of representing it that makes it very difficult for us to help them do that," the statement from Steam read.</span><span></span></p>
<p><img src="https://static3.thisisinsider.com/image/5c7ed055dde8671dcc758d7f-1779/ss04e3a6cf3a8111fdf491e5af61e873bef447ddc3.jpg" border="0" alt="Rape Day Steam Screenshot" style="color: #000000;" data-mce-source="&amp;quotRape Day&amp;quot/Desk Plant"></p>
<p><span>While blocking the Steam release of "Rape Day" was a goal for the critics of the game, Steam's response does little to address the concerns raised by the situation. Steam has not said whether it will adjust its policies on sexual violence in games or if it will change the way games are reviewed before being cleared for sale. </span></p>
<p><span>While Steam's decision to pull "Rape Day" brings the situation to an abrupt end, these questions are still lingering: If the content of "Rape Day" was always too problematic for Steam, how did the game earn a listing in the first place? What part of the game's content or representation ultimately led to it being pulled?</span><span></span></p>
<p><strong>Read <a href="https://steamcommunity.com/games/593110/announcements/detail/1808664240304050758" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steam's full statement</a> on "Rape Day" below.</strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">"Over the past week you may have heard about a game called 'Rape Day' coming soon to Steam. Today we've decided not to distribute this game on Steam. Given our previous communication around <a href="https://steamcommunity.com/games/593110/announcements/detail/1666776116200553082" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Who Gets To Be On The Steam Store?</a>, we think this decision warrants further explanation.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">"Much of our policy around what we distribute is, and must be, reactionary—we simply have to wait and see what comes to us via Steam Direct. We then have to make a judgement call about any risk it puts to Valve, our developer partners, or our customers. After significant fact-finding and discussion, we think 'Rape Day' poses unknown costs and risks and therefore won't be on Steam.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">"We respect developers’ desire to express themselves, and the purpose of Steam is to help developers find an audience, but this developer has chosen content matter and a way of representing it that makes it very difficult for us to help them do that."</p><p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/steam-blocks-rape-day-game-release-2019-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/dna-tests-23andme-british-predict-heritage-ancestry-2019-2">5 Brits predicted their heritage before taking DNA tests — the results were pretty surprising</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/sen-mcsally-ex-air-force-pilot-says-officer-raped-her-2019-3Sen. Martha McSally, first woman fighter pilot to fly in combat, says officer raped her while in the Air Forcehttps://www.thisisinsider.com/sen-mcsally-ex-air-force-pilot-says-officer-raped-her-2019-3
Wed, 06 Mar 2019 15:04:00 -0500Colleen Long
<p><img src="https://static3.thisisinsider.com/image/5c8028d22730ca005d6bb057" border="0" alt="FILE - In this Dec. 18, 2018 file photo, then Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., waits to speak during a news conference at the Capitol in Phoenix. Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., the first female fighter pilot to fly in combat, says she was raped in the Air Force by a superior officer. (AP Photo/Matt York)" /></p><p></p>
<p>WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; Sen. Martha McSally, the first woman fighter pilot to fly in combat, said Wednesday that she was raped in the Air Force by a superior officer.</p>
<p>The Arizona Republican, a 26-year military veteran, made the disclosure at a Senate hearing on the armed services' efforts to prevent sexual assaults and improve the response when they occur.</p>
<p>McSally said she did not report being sexually assaulted because she did not trust the system, and she said she was ashamed and confused. McSally did not name the officer who she says raped her.</p>
<p>"I stayed silent for many years, but later in my career, as the military grappled with the scandals, and their wholly inadequate responses, I felt the need to let some people know I too was a survivor," she said, choking up as she detailed what had happened to her. "I was horrified at how my attempt to share generally my experiences was handled. I almost separated from the Air Force at 18 years of service over my despair. Like many victims, I felt like the system was raping me all over again."</p>
<p>McSally's revelation comes not long after Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, detailed her own abuse and assault, and at a time of increased awareness over the problem of harassment and assault in the armed forces. Reports of sexual assaults across the military jumped nearly 10% in 2017 &mdash; a year that also saw an online nude-photo sharing scandal rock the Defense Department.</p>
<p>McSally said she shares in the disgust of the failures of the military system and many commanders who have failed to address the problems of sexual misconduct. She said the public must demand that higher-ranking officials be part of the solution.</p><p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/sen-mcsally-ex-air-force-pilot-says-officer-raped-her-2019-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/r-secret-us-prosecutors-deal-violated-epstein-victims-rights-judge-2019-2Judge rules federal prosecutors — including Trump's former labor secretary — violated the law when they cut a cushy plea deal for billionaire Jeffrey Epsteinhttps://www.thisisinsider.com/r-secret-us-prosecutors-deal-violated-epstein-victims-rights-judge-2019-2
Fri, 22 Feb 2019 13:14:00 -0500Brendan Pierson
<p><img src="https://static4.thisisinsider.com/image/5c702310dde8677da351f1d0-1863/jeffrey epstein.jpg" border="0" alt="jeffrey epstein" data-mce-source="Rick Friedman/Rick Friedman Photography/Corbis via Getty" data-mce-caption="Jeffrey Epstein is seen in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2004." /></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li>A federal judge on Thursday ruled that a 2007 plea agreement by US federal prosecutors not to charge the billionaire Jeffrey Epstein with sex trafficking of minors violated the rights of his victims.</li>
<li>US District Judge Kenneth Marra said the agreement violated the federal Crime Victims' Rights Act by not letting the more than 30 victims know of the deal so they could have a chance to oppose it.</li>
<li>It was not immediately clear what effect the ruling would have.</li>
<li>Epstein pleaded guilty to a lesser prostitution charge in the case, and he served just 13 months in jail.</li>
</ul>
<p>A 2007 agreement by US federal prosecutors not to charge the Florida financier Jeffrey Epstein with sex trafficking of minors violated the legal rights of Epstein's victims by keeping them in the dark, a federal judge ruled on Thursday.</p>
<p>US District Judge Kenneth Marra in West Palm Beach, Florida, ruled that the prosecutors violated the federal Crime Victims' Rights Act by not letting more than 30 identified victims know of the deal so they would have a chance to oppose it.</p>
<p>Under his deal, Epstein pleaded guilty to a lesser Florida state felony prostitution charge and served 13 months in prison.</p>
<p><img src="https://static5.thisisinsider.com/image/5c702310dde8677da351f1d1-1778/michelle licata.jpg" border="0" alt="Michelle Licata" data-mce-source="Emily Michot/Miami Herald/TNS via Getty Images" data-mce-caption="Michelle Licata, 30, was overcome with emotion when she discussed her sexual encounters with Epstein in an interview with the Miami Herald. She was a 16 when the encounters began." data-link="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/michelle-licata-is-overcome-with-emotion-while-discussing-news-photo/1066468286" /></p>
<p>The ruling came in a civil lawsuit filed against the government in 2008 to challenge the nonprosecution agreement.</p>
<p>"The vindication the victims received today is the reason we have fought for their rights for more than 10 years," Brad Edwards, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said in an email.</p>
<p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/alex-acosta-jeffrey-epstein-jail-deal-2018-11">Stunning new report details Trump's labor secretary's role in plea deal for billionaire sex abuser</a></em></p>
<p>It was not immediately clear what effect the ruling would have. Marra did not order any remedy, instead ordering the plaintiffs and the government to notify him within 15 days how they wished to proceed in determining a remedy.</p>
<p>Marra noted in his opinion that in at least one past case, a court had rescinded a nonprosecution agreement after finding that it was reached in violation of the victims' legal rights.</p>
<p><img src="https://static2.thisisinsider.com/image/5c702310dde8677da351f1d2-2000/epstein home.jpg" border="0" alt="epstein home" data-mce-source="Emily Michot/Miami Herald/TNS via Getty" data-mce-caption="Epstein's home, where many of the alleged sexual encounters occurred, is pictured above in Palm Beach." data-link="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/at-this-home-on-el-brillo-way-in-palm-beach-young-girls-news-photo/1066329730" /></p>
<p>Alex Acosta, the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida in 2007 who is now the US secretary of labor in the Trump administration, was among the prosecutors who made the agreement.</p>
<p>A Labor Department spokeswoman said the decisions of the US attorney's office under Acosta had been approved by US Justice Department leadership and the Justice Department had defended them in court. She declined further comment.</p>
<p>A lawyer for Epstein could not immediately be reached for comment.</p>
<p>Before reaching the nonprosecution agreement with Acosta's office, Epstein was facing federal indictment for sexually abusing dozens of girls as young as 14 from 1999 to 2007, directing others to abuse them, and paying employees to bring victims to him, according to court filings.</p>
<p>Epstein has said his encounters were consensual and that he believed the girls were 18 when they occurred.</p>
<p>Marra said prosecutors not only failed to tell known victims about the deal, as required by law, but also chose to "mislead the victims to believe that federal prosecution was still a possibility" by urging them to be "patient" even after the deal was reached.</p>
<ul class="read-more-links">
<li>Read more:</li>
<li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-epstein-accused-of-aggressive-witness-tampering-2015-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Billionaire Accused Of 'Witness Tampering' On Questions About Prince Andrew And Underage Girls</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/billionaire-hedge-funder-and-pedophile-jeffrey-epstein-goes-free-after-serving-only-5-years-2010-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">New Details On Billionaire Hedge Funder Jeffrey Epstein's Child Sex Habits As He Is Freed From House Arrest</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/money-manager-jeffrey-epstein-had-a-ridiculous-sense-of-humor-about-pedophilia-2010-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Money Manager Jeffrey Epstein Had A Weird Sense Of Humor About Underage Sex</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-pedophile-hedge-fund-mogul-jeffrey-epstein-got-off-so-easy-2011-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">How Pedophile Hedge Fund Mogul Jeffrey Epstein Got Off So Easy</a></li>
</ul><p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/r-secret-us-prosecutors-deal-violated-epstein-victims-rights-judge-2019-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/fbi-most-wanted-man-greg-carlson-shot-dead-2019-2FBI agents say they killed a California man on the 10 Most Wanted listhttps://www.thisisinsider.com/fbi-most-wanted-man-greg-carlson-shot-dead-2019-2
Thu, 14 Feb 2019 18:43:55 -0500Sarah Harvard
<p><img src="https://static4.thisisinsider.com/image/5c65e213eb3ce84aa83bd4d5-2000/pjimage%205.jpg" border="0" alt="pjimage (5)" data-mce-source="FBI" data-mce-caption="Mugshots show Greg Alyn Carlson in 2017, left, and 2014, right." data-link="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/greg-alyn-carlson"></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li>Greg Alyn Carlson, 47, was shot dead by FBI agents inside an Apex, North Carolina hotel room on Wednesday.</li>
<li>The California man landed on the bureau's 10 Most Wanted list after fleeing Los Angeles in 2017 while free on bail for burgarly and sexual assault charges.</li>
<li>He had been spotted several times throughout the South since then.</li>
</ul>
<p>A man accused of several violent sexual assault cases in Los Angeles, California was shot and killed by FBI agents inside a hotel room in North Carolina this week.</p>
<p>Greg Alyn Carlson, 47, was inducted into the <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/greg-alyn-carlson">FBI’s Ten Most Wanted</a> list in September 2018.</p>
<p>On Wednesday, the authorities found Carlson at a hotel in Apex, North Carolina after a local police officer noticed a car associated with him in the parking lot.</p>
<p>Paul Delacourt, the assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said Carlson was killed after a violent altercation occurred when agents entered his hotel room.</p>
<div>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/OLEP3NI3_-c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
<p>On July 13, 2017, the 47-year-old fugitive was accused of burglary in Los Angeles. He allegedly attempted to sexually assault a woman while using a weapon. The FBI said Carlson had a local arrest warrant based on charges of burglary, assault with intent to commit rape and assault with a deadly weapon.</p>
<p>According to Los Angeles Police Department Captain Billy Hayes, Carlson was linked to at least three assaults, two of them in 2003 based on results from DNA tests.</p>
<p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/fbis-most-wanted-suspect-does-in-my-feelings-during-police-escort-2018-8">A double murder suspect on the FBI's Most Wanted list did the 'In My Feelings' challenge while being escorted by police</a></em></p>
<p>He was arrested in September 2017, but fled after posting bond. Carlson ran away to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, after being released from custody, the FBI said.</p>
<p>Carlson also fled South Carolina with a stolen firearm, a rental vehicle, and cash. He also led the local police on an "erratic, high-speed chase" in Alabama. In November 2017, the fugitive was also spotted in two Florida cities.<img src="https://static3.thisisinsider.com/image/5c65e3f8eb3ce8038a000062-2000/fugitive%20poster.jpg" border="0" alt="fugitive poster" data-mce-source="FBI via AP" data-mce-caption="The wanted poster for Carlson is seen before he was killed Wednesday." data-link="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/FBI-Most-Wanted/6248fef4eb934109a9d9c5cc2e0b5c7e/3/0"></p>
<p>In December 2017, a federal warrant was issued for Carlson, charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.</p>
<p>He was described as a "woman’s worst nightmare," by FBI Special Agent Scott Garriola, who served on the bureau’s Los Angeles Fugitive Task Force, in a statement last year.</p>
<p>"He is the prowler who breaks in at night and violently sexually assaults his victims," Mr Garriola said.</p>
<p>Before his death, Carlson was described "armed and dangerous." There was also a $100,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.</p>
<ul class="read-more-links">
<li>Read more:</li>
<li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-top-10-most-wanted-2015-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Meet the 'Top 10 Most Wanted Fugitives' in America</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-armys-most-wanted-fugitives-2015-2/5/?IR=T&amp;r=SG" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Here are the US Army's most wanted fugitives</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-forces-most-wanted-fugitives-2015-2/?IR=T&amp;r=SG" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Here are the Air Force's most wanted fugitives</a></li>
</ul><p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/fbi-most-wanted-man-greg-carlson-shot-dead-2019-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/swedish-mcdonalds-mcvegan-unique-menu-fast-food-2019-2">We tried all the unique menu items at Swedish McDonald's — including the McVegan</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/bill-cosby-says-hes-a-political-prisoner-after-sex-assault-conviction-2019-2Convicted sex offender Bill Cosby says he will 'never have remorse,' calls himself a political prisoner in his first statement since entering prisonhttps://www.thisisinsider.com/bill-cosby-says-hes-a-political-prisoner-after-sex-assault-conviction-2019-2
Wed, 13 Feb 2019 19:37:18 -0500Kelly McLaughlin
<p><img src="https://static6.thisisinsider.com/image/5c648af6eb3ce8124458b814-2000/bill cosby arrives for a pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the montgomery county courthouse on march 5 2018.jpg" border="0" alt="Bill Cosby arrives for a pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse on March 5, 2018." data-mce-source="AP Photo/Matt Slocum" data-mce-caption="Bill Cosby arrives for a pretrial hearing in his sexual assault case at the Montgomery County Courthouse on March 5, 2018." /></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li>Bill Cosby said in his first statement since entering prison in September that he will "never have remorse" after his 2018 sexual-assault conviction for drugging and assaulting Andrea Constand in 2004.</li>
<li>He called himself a political prisoner and compared himself to Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Randall Robinson, and Benjamin Chavis.</li>
<li>Cosby's spokesman, Andrew Wyatt, told INSIDER that Cosby was right to compare himself to the other men, saying he was a "cultural icon" and a "civil-rights leader."</li>
<li>More than 60 women have accused Cosby of sexual assault over the last five decades.</li>
</ul>
<p>Convicted sex offender and comedian Bill Cosby called himself a political prisoner and a victim of "entrapment" in his first statement since starting his prison sentence.</p>
<p>Cosby, 81, shared a statement <a href="https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/From-Prison-Convicted-Sex-Offender-Bill-Cosby-Says-Hes-a-Political-Prisoner-for-Trying-to-Humanize-All-Races-505774901.html">with his wife, Camille, and the Philadelphia NBC News affiliate WCAU</a> after the station <a href="https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Bill-Cosby-Life-Behind-Bars-505728601.html">aired a two-part interview with his spokesman, Andrew Wyatt</a>.</p>
<p>Wyatt had told WCAU that since starting his sentence at Pennsylvania's State Correctional Institution &mdash; Phoenix, in Collegeville, Cosby has washed all his meals before eating them and has woken up at 3:30 a.m. every morning to work out.</p>
<p>Cosby started his three- to 10-year prison sentence at the facility in September, four months after he was convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand in his Cheltenham, Pennsylvania, home in 2004.</p>
<p>In addition to Constand, more than 60 other women have accused Cosby of sexual assault over the last five decades.</p>
<p>In a statement to WCAU about his sentencing, Cosby said he will "never have remorse."</p>
<p>"I was given a deal; I settled out of court for $3.8 million dollars; I waived my 5th amendment rights; I was declared Not Guilty in 2005 by the Commonwealth &mdash; never charged. However, a low-life District Attorney and a corrupt Judge needed me Guilty now. Not for justice, but for their political aspirations," Cosby said.</p>
<p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-cosby-request-for-new-trial-reduced-sentence-rejected-2018-10">Judge rejects Bill Cosby's request for a new trial and a reduced sentence</a></em></p>
<p>He said he was a victim of "entrapment."</p>
<p>"My political beliefs, my actions of trying to humanize all races, genders and religions landed me in this place surrounded by barb wire fencing, a room made of steel and iron," Cosby said. "So, I now have a temporary residence that resembles the quarters of some of the Greatest Political Prisoners - Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Randal Robinson, and Dr. Benjamin Chavis. I stand upright as a Political Prisoner and I Smile. The Truth is Strong!"</p>
<p>Wyatt told INSIDER that Cosby dictated the statement to his wife after hearing about the WCAU interview from people at the prison.</p>
<p>He said that Cosby was accurate in comparing himself to King, Gandhi, and Mandela.</p>
<p>"People want to limit him to being a comedian and actor, but Mr. Cosby is a civil-rights icon," Wyatt told INSIDER.</p>
<p>While <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/kevin-spacey">Kevin Spacey</a> and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/judge-rules-harvey-weinsteins-criminal-case-to-continue-2018-12">Harvey Weinstein</a> have also been investigated over sexual-assault allegations, Wyatt said Cosby&rsquo;s conviction was solely because he is a black man.</p>
<p>Wyatt said Chavis, <a href="https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/benjamin-f-chavis-jr">a civil-rights leader who spent nearly a decade in prison on a conviction for conspiracy and arson that was later overturned</a>, visited Cosby in January and sat with him for two days.</p>
<p>"[Cosby] has met these people," he added. "They&rsquo;ve told him he was more than a comedian &mdash; he was a cultural icon."</p>
<p>Chavis <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/29/us/leader-used-naacp-money-to-settle-a-sex-harassment-case.html">was accused of sexual harassment and discrimination more than two decades ago</a>&nbsp;in a scandal that saw him ousted from his role as the NAACP's executive director.</p>
<p>INSIDER has contacted Gloria Allred, who represented Constand, for comment.</p>
<ul class="read-more-links">
<li>Read more about Bill Cosby:</li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/bill-cosby-prison-experience-2018-9" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">This is what Bill Cosby's time in prison might look like</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/why-cosbys-hollywood-star-remain-despite-sex-assault-conviction-2018-9" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Why Cosby's Hollywood star will remain despite his conviction for drugging and sex assault</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/bill-cosby-sentenced-tk-years-in-prison-for-sexual-assault-2018-9" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Bill Cosby sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison for sexual assault</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/celebrities-react-on-twitter-to-bill-cosby-guilty-verdict-2018-4" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Hollywood stars react to the Bill Cosby guilty verdict: 'Thank you society for waking up'</a></li>
</ul><p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/bill-cosby-says-hes-a-political-prisoner-after-sex-assault-conviction-2019-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/spider-man-far-from-home-trailer-meaning-2019-1">What the 'Spider-Man: Far From Home' trailer really means</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/virginia-lt-gov-justin-fairfax-accusers-testify-impeachment-2019-2Despite denials from Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, his accusers reportedly say they'll testify at potential impeachmenthttps://www.thisisinsider.com/virginia-lt-gov-justin-fairfax-accusers-testify-impeachment-2019-2
Sun, 10 Feb 2019 12:51:38 -0500Ellen Cranley
<p><img src="https://static4.thisisinsider.com/image/5c6064d4dde8674db47b0c8d-2000/gettyimages-1095064146 1.jpg" border="0" alt="justin fairfax" data-mce-source="Drew Angerer/Getty Images" data-mce-caption="Virginia Lt. Governor Justin Fairfax presides over the Senate at the Virginia State Capitol, February 7, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia." data-link="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/virginia-lt-governor-justin-fairfax-presides-over-the-news-photo/1095064146" /></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li><strong>Two women who accused Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax of sexual assault are reportedly prepared to testify in the case of impeachment, according to emails obtained by NBC News. </strong></li>
<li><strong>The development comes despite Fairfax's flat denial of the allegations and his calls for a federal investigation of the claims.</strong></li>
<li><strong>Attorneys for one of the women said they would be able to produce witnesses and documents that prove she told others about the assault.&nbsp;</strong></li>
<li><strong>Fairfax is one of three Virginia state lawmakers in the middle of swirling controversy, and has been threatened with impeachment proceedings if he does not resign. </strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Two women who accused <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/justin-fairfax-bio-photos-history-virginia-lt-governor-2019-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax</a> of sexual assault are reportedly prepared to testify.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/virginia-dems-call-lt-gov-resign-amid-sexual-assault-accusations-n969696" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC News</a> reported that Dr. Vanessa Tyson and Meredith Watson would speak at a potential impeachment hearing to stand behind their accounts they originally surfaced last week about two incidents four years apart.</p>
<p>The development further complicates Fairfax's side of the story, which began with flat denial before he called for the FBI to investigate the women's claims.</p>
<p>Dr. Tyson, a professor at Scripps College in California and a fellow at Stanford University, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/2019/02/06/daed33aa-2a30-11e9-b2fc-721718903bfc_story.html?utm_term=.f224f5520839" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made a statement</a> last Wednesday detailing her accusation that Fairfax forced her to perform oral sex on him in 2004 during the Democratic National Convention in Boston.</p>
<p>Two days later, Watson came forward with her story, alleging that Fairfax raped her while both were attending Duke University in 2000. According to the statement, the two were friends but not in a romantic relationship.</p>
<p>Nancy Erika Smith, an attorney for Meredith Watson, said in a statement to NBC that they would be able to provide "at least two witnesses whom Ms. Watson told of the assault the day after Fairfax raped her," and "documentary evidence of Ms. Watson revealing to others the fact that Fairfax raped her."</p>
<p>Fairfax has so far resisted calls from several <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-are-calling-on-justin-fairfax-to-resign-2019-2#former-virginia-gov-terry-mcauliffe-a-democrat-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">congressional lawmakers</a>, including several Democratic presidential candidates, to resign, and told INSIDER in a statement through a spokesperson last week that he demanded "a full investigation into these <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/justin-fairfax-denies-sexual-assault-allegation-virginia-lieutenant-governor-2019-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unsubstantiated and false allegations</a>."</p>
<p>"Such an investigation will confirm my account because I am telling the truth," the statement said.</p>
<p><em><strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/justin-fairfax-denies-sexual-assault-allegation-virginia-lieutenant-governor-2019-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax calls sexual assault allegation a 'totally fabricated story'</a></em></p>
<p>Democratic member of the Virginia House of Delegates Patrick Hope said Friday that he will <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/virginia-democrat-plans-to-introduce-articles-of-impeachment-unless-lt-gov-fairfax-resigns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduce articles of impeachment</a> if Fairfax doesn't announce his resignation by Monday.</p>
<p>Attorneys for Dr. Tyson said in a statement to NBC that Fairfax's denial and attempts to discredit the claims "says all you need to know about his lack of fitness to serve in public office."</p>
<p>Fairfax is under harsh scrutiny alongside other top Virginia state officials.</p>
<p>Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam has similarly refused to resign amid the resurfacing of a photo from his 1984 medical-school yearbook in which he is suspected of either wearing blackface or a Ku Klux Klan-like robe.</p>
<p>After Northam initially said he was in the photo, he denied being in that specific photo but said he did wear blackface when dressing up as Michael Jackson for a dance contest. Virginia's attorney general also said this week he wore blackface in the 1980s.</p><p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/virginia-lt-gov-justin-fairfax-accusers-testify-impeachment-2019-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hidden-meanings-behind-j-coles-middle-child-video-explained-2019-2">All the hidden meanings behind J. Cole's 'Middle Child' video explained</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/michelle-rodriguez-says-liam-neeson-not-racist-viola-davis-kiss-2019-2Michelle Rodriguez said Liam Neeson can't be racist because of the way he kissed Viola Davishttps://www.thisisinsider.com/michelle-rodriguez-says-liam-neeson-not-racist-viola-davis-kiss-2019-2
Thu, 07 Feb 2019 15:32:03 -0500Kelly McLaughlin
<p><img src="https://static2.thisisinsider.com/image/5c5c91cceb3ce80f7a4dc003-1920/pjimage%202.jpg" border="0" alt="Michelle Rodriguez, Liam Neeson, and Viola Davis" data-mce-source="Photos by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP" data-mce-caption="Michelle Rodriguez, Liam Neeson, and Viola Davis"></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li>Michelle Rodriguez defended Liam Neeson while attending the amfAR Gala in New York on Wednesday. </li>
<li>Earlier this week, an interview was published in <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/liam-neeson-interview-rape-race-black-man-revenge-taken-cold-pursuit-a8760896.html">The Independent</a>, in which Neeson told a reporter about <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-interview-revenge-black-men-after-friend-raped-independent-2019-2">wanting to kill a "black b------" in revenge for his friend's rape</a>. </li>
<li>Rodriguez said that Neeson isn't a racist because of the way he kissed Viola Davis in the 2018 film "Widows."</li>
<li>Neeson and Davis play husband and wife in the Steve McQueen drama. </li>
</ul>
<p>Michelle Rodriguez defended Liam Neeson's comment about <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-interview-revenge-black-men-after-friend-raped-independent-2019-2">wanting to kill a "black b------" in revenge for his friend's rape</a> by saying that the actor can't be racist because of the way he kissed Viola Davis is "Widows."</p>
<p>While attending the amfAR Gala in New York on Wednesday, Rodriguez <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/02/michelle-rodriguez-liam-neeson-racist-chainsmokers-movie?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_brand=vf&amp;mbid=social_twitter&amp;utm_social-type=owned&amp;utm_medium=social">defended Neeson against being labeled a racist to Vanity Fair</a>.</p>
<p>"Liam Neeson is not a racist," she told the publication. "Dude, have you watched 'Widows?' His tongue was so far down Viola Davis's throat. You can't call him a racist ever. Racists don't make out with the race that they hate, especially in the way he does with his tongue — so deep down her throat."</p>
<p>Neeson and Davis play husband and wife in the Steve McQueen drama that was released last year.</p>
<p>"I don't care how good of an actor you are. It's all bulls---," Rodriguez told Vanity Fair. "Ignore it. He's not a racist. He's a loving man. It's all lies."</p>
<p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/red-carpet-event-for-liam-neesons-new-film-canceled-amid-racism-row-2019-2">A red carpet event for Liam Neeson's new film was canceled following the actor's 'black b------' comments</a></em></p>
<p>INSIDER has contacted spokespeople for Rodriguez and Davis for comment. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, Liam Neeson <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/reactions-liam-neeson-comment-racist-backlash-2019-2">appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America"</a> on Tuesday to defend himself against claims that he was racist.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/liam-neeson-interview-rape-race-black-man-revenge-taken-cold-pursuit-a8760896.html"><span>The Independent's recent interview with the action star</span></a> went viral earlier this week. In the interview, Neeson told a reporter about a close friend who was raped 40 years ago by a black man.</p>
<p>He said he "went out deliberately — and to black areas in the city — looking to be set upon. So that I could unleash physical violence."</p>
<p>He told GMA host Robin Roberts that he was "shocked" to have such "horrible feelings."</p>
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<ul class="read-more-links">
<li>Read more:</li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/reactions-liam-neeson-comment-racist-backlash-2019-2" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">People are condemning Liam Neeson's reaction to his friend's alleged rape as racist — but some are applauding him</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-said-hes-not-racist-good-morning-america-video-2019-2" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Liam Neeson insists he's not racist in the wake of his comments about wanting to kill black people for revenge: 'I did seek help, I went to a priest'</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-interview-revenge-black-men-after-friend-raped-independent-2019-2" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Liam Neeson said he once hoped to kill 'some black b-------' after his friend said she was raped by a black man</a></li>
</ul><p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/michelle-rodriguez-says-liam-neeson-not-racist-viola-davis-kiss-2019-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/details-you-missed-in-solanges-when-i-get-home-music-video-2019-3">Details You Missed In Solange’s ‘When I Get Home’ Music Video</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/reactions-liam-neeson-comment-racist-backlash-2019-2People are condemning Liam Neeson's reaction to his friend's alleged rape as racist — but some are applauding himhttps://www.thisisinsider.com/reactions-liam-neeson-comment-racist-backlash-2019-2
Tue, 05 Feb 2019 13:53:02 -0500Callie Ahlgrim
<p><img src="https://static2.thisisinsider.com/image/5c599cfaeb3ce82b831634e6-2126/gettyimages-1029632106.jpg" border="0" alt="liam neeson" data-mce-source="Tara Ziemba/WireImage"></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li>After a close friend said she was raped by a black man 40 years ago, Liam Neeson told The Independent that he would carry a weapon<span> </span><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-interview-revenge-black-men-after-friend-raped-independent-2019-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hoping to be approached by a 'black b------' so he could kill him</a>.</li>
<li>When the interview was published on Monday, it quickly went viral.</li>
<li>Neeson's comments attracted a flood of condemnation from all areas of the internet.</li>
<li>Some people, however, defended and praised the actor — including the former soccer player John Barnes, who said Neeson "deserves a medal" for his honesty.</li>
</ul>
<p>Liam Neeson is facing a wave of backlash after <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/liam-neeson-interview-rape-race-black-man-revenge-taken-cold-pursuit-a8760896.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his recent interview with The Independent</a> went viral on Monday.</p>
<p><span>During a press junket for his newest film "Cold Pursuit" — in which Neeson plays a father seeking revenge after his son was killed by a drug gang — </span>the actor <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-interview-revenge-black-men-after-friend-raped-independent-2019-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described a revenge fantasy he once had</a><span> after a close friend said she was raped by a black man 40 years ago.</span></p>
<p><span>"I went up and down areas with a cosh," he continued, using a British term for a weapon that can bludgeon, "hoping I'd be approached by somebody. I'm ashamed to say that."</span></p>
<p><span>"And I did it for maybe a week, hoping some 'black b------' would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know?" he said, using air quotes around the offensive term. "So that I could kill him."</span></p>
<p>Though he appeared on "Good Morning America" on Tuesday <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-said-hes-not-racist-good-morning-america-video-2019-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to clarify that this "incident" occurred nearly 40 years ago and to insist he's "not racist,"</a> his comments had already been condemned on social media.</p>
<p><em><strong>Read more: </strong></em><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-said-hes-not-racist-good-morning-america-video-2019-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Liam Neeson insists he's not racist in the wake of his comments about wanting to kill black people for revenge: 'I did seek help, I went to a priest'</em></a></p>
<h2>People were appalled that Neeson would conflate the actions of one black person with the entire black community</h2>
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To those saying "yeah but Liam Neeson's mate was raped," you're missing the point. A rapist is a rapist, their skin colour is utterly irrelevant. The fact Neeson honed in on that aspect, speaks volumes. </p>— Jack D 🌹 (@JackDunc1) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092704177048834048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2019</a>
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Also can we get the language right please, getting back at a Black person who harmed you is revenge. Wanting any* Black person to pay for the harm (done to a friend) is actually lynching. </p>— Guilaine Kinouani (@KGuilaine) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092545359090462720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2019</a>
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<p>Many of those critics pointed out that Neeson's experience as evidence of a larger, systemic bias against black people.</p>
<p>"<span>Liam Neeson is definitely a reminder that there are folks who walk around hoping to provoke Black people so they can kill us," wrote j</span>ournalist George M. Johnson.</p>
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Liam Neeson is definitely a reminder that there are folks who walk around hoping to provoke Black people so they can kill us.<br><br>A lot of them are in law enforcement and politics. </p>— George M Johnson (@IamGMJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092467813556649984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2019</a>
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What Neeson learnt from that experience was that revenge isn’t worth it, not that ermmmmm ROAMING THE STREETS FOR A WEEK LOOKING FOR AN INNOCENT BLACK MAN TO MURDER was a tad wrong. <br><br>W I L D. </p>— Susan Wokoma (@susan_wokoma) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092463100853452800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2019</a>
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how many black men have lost their lives cos a white man was out one day looking for trouble? </p>— Mrs GIFLord DanielléDASH (@DanielleDASH) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092496537823907841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2019</a>
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<p>Many argue that Neeson's "hunt" was indicative of latent, existing racism, rather than some sort of "phase" triggered by emotional trauma — especially considering Neeson said that he specifically asked his friend about her rapist's race.</p>
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Liam Neeson says he's not a racist... but he's wrong. Even if he had gone on the hunt for a white man that's still racist. Targeting someone on skin colour alone. And he asked colour - not age, height, weight, identifying features - just colour. <a href="https://t.co/NbjCkkbnQJ">https://t.co/NbjCkkbnQJ</a> </p>— Heggitha ;; (@HeggieTBK) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092800480789651456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2019</a>
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And the very fact that he asked the question, what colour was him, betrays he has a hung up w/ BM. Ofc he would not have been murderously triggered if the assailant did not own a black penis. Let’s be real. That’s the issue here. </p>— Guilaine Kinouani (@KGuilaine) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092547530267770886?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2019</a>
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I’m still seeing mainly white apologists excusing Liam Neeson’s behaviour.<br><br>Cool, just acknowledge that you also have racial prejudices.<br><br>His rage focussed on ‘Black’ not the Rape. He specifically asked about race, he didn’t go out looking for rapists.<br><br>Check your conscience. </p>— Marianne (@MissMMiles) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092734182332211201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2019</a>
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<h2>Neeson did, however, have defenders</h2>
<p>Some people praised his admission, including the former soccer player John Barnes, who said Neeson "deserves a medal" for being honest.</p>
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Football legend <a href="https://twitter.com/officialbarnesy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@officialbarnesy</a> has told Sky News he thinks actor Liam Neeson 'deserves a medal' for his honesty about once having violent thoughts about "killing" a black person.<br><br>Read the full story here: <a href="https://t.co/7jgA6zVH55">https://t.co/7jgA6zVH55</a> <a href="https://t.co/kOZgFRQOis">pic.twitter.com/kOZgFRQOis</a> </p>— Sky News (@SkyNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092764846507085824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2019</a>
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<p><span>Journalist Jeremy Helligar argued that Neeson simply "lacked awareness" in the situation.</span></p>
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Journalist Jeremy Helligar believes while Liam Neeson's actions were racist, it doesn't make him a racist. He says Neeson simply 'lacked awareness'. <a href="https://t.co/BK9bMPmW0p">pic.twitter.com/BK9bMPmW0p</a> </p>— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092699835436843008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2019</a>
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Liam Neeson in a heartfelt interview stated that an emotional trauma made him feel unjustly prejudiced against black people, but he came to his senses, realised his gross error of judgement, and learned from it.<br><br>Social Media: Get the pitchforks, guys! Liam Neeson is a racist! </p>— Jonathan Pie (@JonathanPieNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092742052050292736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2019</a>
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very personal story and telling people that his reaction was wrong and he regrets </p>— Chrissie (@Chrissie1306) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092453300098818048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2019</a>
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<p>Still, Neeson's defenders were roundly mocked. Many noted that both the urge and the ability to praise Neeson's actions are symptoms of whiteness and privilege.</p>
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Warms my heart to see two white ppl finding comfort in the fact Liam Neeson found it in his heart to not kill a random Black man. I know how deeply this effects the both of you and applaud you the targeted demo, for finding it in your hearts to redeem him </p>— Danie Durst (@daniecal) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092505118010994688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2019</a>
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Aye man you don't get points for being "honest" and saying you relate to Liam Neeson's racism bubbling over and manifesting itself in the desire to kill innocent ppl what the fuck is wrong with y'all </p>— Beyonce has an uncle named Larry Beyince. Bruh.... (@DragonflyJonez) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092796672655216643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2019</a>
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Let yesterday be marked as the day a lot of ytpeople decided that “planning to go out and beat up black men” wasn’t racism but a charming redemption story for Liam Neeson </p>— Marcus (@marcusjdl) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092712267567808512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2019</a>
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<p>Others noted that Neeson feeling free to tell this story at all is emblematic of his own privilege.</p>
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The global fantasy of being able to enact violence on black people, especially in the context of sexual assault panic, has created laws and customs that enable that violence. I would like for him and interviewers to meditate on that, now that he opened the door </p>— Dad (@fivefifths) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092771580567056385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2019</a>
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Neeson got it spun into a story about triumph over primal urges when it's a story about what makes people beat on innocent black and brown bodies that pose them no danger. Robin barely pushed back and I'm tired. </p>— Craig Bro Dude (@CraigSJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092785532143353862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2019</a>
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<p><span>"Liam Neeson being ready to take any Black life over what one person allegedly did just shows how meaningless and inconsequential black lives are to some," wrote </span>Frederick Joseph, founder of the non-profit We Have Stories. <span>"Even him telling the story demonstrates a level of privilege and understating that there may not be repercussions."</span></p>
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Liam Neeson being ready to take any Black life over what one person allegedly did just shows how meaningless and inconsequential black lives are to some. <br><br>Even him telling the story demonstrates a level of privilege and understating that there may not be repercussions. </p>— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092473358896246785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2019</a>
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<p>Journalist Gary Younge <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/05/liam-neeson-interview-black-people-actor-racism?CMP=share_btn_tw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">echoed this sentiment in a piece for The Guardian</a>.</p>
<p><span>"When some white people look at us they see anything from a misplaced grievance to a cautionary tale," Younge wrote. "What they do not see are human beings. We are still fair game."</span></p>
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/garyyounge?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@garyyounge</a> on Liam Neeson and that interview is *chef’s kiss* <a href="https://t.co/cFzbwvlp7v">https://t.co/cFzbwvlp7v</a> <a href="https://t.co/tCxULbtb54">pic.twitter.com/tCxULbtb54</a> </p>— Rossalyn Warren (@RossalynWarren) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092769592206856193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2019</a>
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<h2>Neeson said on 'GMA' that he was 'shocked' by his own feelings</h2>
<p>On "GMA," Roberts asked Neeson what would've happened if the alleged rapist were white.</p>
<p>"If she'd had said [the man was] an Irish, or a Scot, or a Brit, or a Lithuanian, I know it would've had the same effect," he said. "I was trying to show honor to my — stand up for my — dear friend, in this terrible, medieval fashion. And I'm a fairly intelligent guy, and that's why it kind of shocked me when I came down to earth after having these horrible feelings. Luckily, no violence occurred. Ever. Thanks be to God."</p>
<p>He did, however, say he feels certain that he would have committed an act of violence, had an innocent black person provoked him.</p>
<p>"We all pretend we're all, kind of, you know, 'politically correct,'" he said, telling Roberts that he hopes his story helps people "open up" and talk about these issues more.</p>
<p>"In this country — it's the same in my own country, too — you sometimes just scratch the surface. And you discover this racism and bigotry, and it's there," he said.</p>
<p><em>If you are a victim of sexual assault,<span> </span><a href="https://www.rainn.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">you can visit RAINN</a><span> </span>or call its hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to receive confidential support from a trained staff member.</em></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-interview-revenge-black-men-after-friend-raped-independent-2019-2" >Liam Neeson said he once hoped to kill 'some black b-------' after his friend said she was raped by a black man</a></strong></p>
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<p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/reactions-liam-neeson-comment-racist-backlash-2019-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/details-you-missed-in-solanges-when-i-get-home-music-video-2019-3">Details You Missed In Solange’s ‘When I Get Home’ Music Video</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-said-hes-not-racist-good-morning-america-video-2019-2Liam Neeson insists he's not racist in the wake of his comments about wanting to kill black people for revenge: 'I did seek help, I went to a priest'https://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-said-hes-not-racist-good-morning-america-video-2019-2
Tue, 05 Feb 2019 10:41:23 -0500Callie Ahlgrim
<p><img src="https://static4.thisisinsider.com/image/5c599b37eb3ce82b0d119ff4-2400/gettyimages-1046001632.jpg" border="0" alt="liam neeson" data-mce-source="Taylor Hill/FilmMagic"></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li>
<a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/liam-neeson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liam Neeson</a><span> </span>recently described a revenge fantasy during an interview with The Independent.</li>
<li>The action star told the publication that "some time ago," a friend told him that she was<span> </span><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/rape" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raped</a><span> </span>by a black man.</li>
<li>Neeson said after that, he carried a weapon <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-interview-revenge-black-men-after-friend-raped-independent-2019-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hoping to be approached by a 'black b------' so he could kill him</a>, according to The Independent.</li>
<li>After the interview went viral, <a href="https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/liam-neeson-clarifies-controversial-revenge-remarks-im-racist-60849164" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Neeson appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday</a> to defend himself against the backlash.</li>
<li><span>"I did seek help, I went to a priest," he told Robin Roberts. "And believe it or not, power walking. Two hours every day, to get rid of this. I'm not racist. This was nearly 40 years ago."</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span>Liam Neeson appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday to defend himself against accusations of racism.</span></p>
<p><span>On Monday, <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/liam-neeson-interview-rape-race-black-man-revenge-taken-cold-pursuit-a8760896.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Independent's recent interview with the action star</a> went viral, in which <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-interview-revenge-black-men-after-friend-raped-independent-2019-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Neeson described a revenge fantasy he once had</a> after a close friend said she was raped by a black man.</span><span></span></p>
<p><span>"She handled the situation, herself and her rapist, incredibly bravely. I have to say that," he told "Good Morning America" host Robin Roberts. "But I had never felt this feeling before, which was a primal urge to lash out."</span></p>
<p><span>When Neeson asked about her rapist's race and found he was a black man, he said he "went out deliberately — and to black areas in the city — looking to be set upon. So that I could unleash physical violence." </span></p>
<p><span>He told Roberts that he did this "maybe four or five times."</span></p>
<div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">
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Liam Neeson tells <a href="https://twitter.com/RobinRoberts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RobinRoberts</a> he wants to set the record straight: he's 'not a racist.' <a href="https://t.co/qtifVy7ET0">https://t.co/qtifVy7ET0</a> <a href="https://t.co/x0y25qerHN">pic.twitter.com/x0y25qerHN</a> </p>— Good Morning America (@GMA) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1092791937776656384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2019</a>
</blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p><span>"It really shocked me, this primal urge I had. It shocked me and it hurt me. I did seek help, I went to a priest," he continued. "And believe it or not, power walking. Two hours every day, to get rid of this."</span></p>
<p><span>"I'm not racist," he continued. "I was brought up in the north of Ireland. And brought up in the Troubles," he continued, referring to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/04/world/europe/northern-ireland-troubles.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a guerrilla war that left about 3,600 dead</a>, according to the New York Times.</span></p>
<p><span>"I had acquaintances who were involved in the Troubles. The bigotry. One Catholic would be killed, the next day a protestant would be killed. One Catholic pub would be bombed, the next day, a Protestant pub would be bombed. I grew up surrounded by that, but I was never part of it."</span></p>
<p>He clarified that the "incident" took place nearly 40 years ago, and that his friend in question passed away five years ago.</p>
<p><img src="https://static5.thisisinsider.com/image/5c59a89ceb3ce8017a651484-2400/liam%20neeson%20taken%202.jpg" border="0" alt="taken 2 liam neeson" data-mce-source="Fox screencap"></p>
<p>Roberts also asked Neeson to clarify why he asked about the rapist's race at all. He said he asked a variety of other questions as well.</p>
<p><span>"If she'd had said [the man was] an Irish, or a Scot, or a Brit, or a Lithuanian, I know it would've had the same effect," he said. "I was trying to show honor to my — stand up for my — dear friend, in this terrible, medieval fashion. And I'm a fairly intelligent guy, and that's why it kind of shocked me when I came down to earth after having these horrible feelings. Luckily, no violence occurred. Ever. Thanks be to God."</span></p>
<p><span>He did, however, say he feels certain that he would have committed an act of violence, had an innocent black person provoked him.</span></p>
<p><span>"We all pretend we're all, kind of, you know, 'politically correct,'" he said, telling Roberts that he hopes his story helps people "open up" and talk about these issues more. </span></p>
<p><span>"In this country — it's the same in my own country, too — you sometimes just scratch the surface. And you discover this racism and bigotry, and it's there."</span></p>
<p><span>Neeson's original comments were made to The Independent during a press junket for his newest film "Cold Pursuit," in which he plays a father on a quest for revenge after his son was killed by a drug gang.</span></p>
<p>Watch the interview on "Good Morning America" below.</p>
<div>
<iframe src="https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/video/embed/60848651" width="640" height="360" scrolling="no" style="border:none;" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>
<p><em>If you are a victim of sexual assault,<span> </span><a href="https://www.rainn.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">you can visit RAINN</a><span> </span>or call its hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to receive confidential support from a trained staff member.</em></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-interview-revenge-black-men-after-friend-raped-independent-2019-2" >Liam Neeson said he once hoped to kill 'some black b-------' after his friend said she was raped by a black man</a></strong></p>
<p><strong>FOLLOW US:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/thisisinsiderentertainment/" >INSIDER Entertainment is on Facebook</a></strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-said-hes-not-racist-good-morning-america-video-2019-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/meet-captain-marvel-trainer-who-got-brie-larson-in-superhero-shape-2019-2">Meet the 'Captain Marvel' trainer who got Brie Larson in superhero shape</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-interview-revenge-black-men-after-friend-raped-independent-2019-2Liam Neeson said he once hoped to kill 'some black b-------' after his friend said she was raped by a black manhttps://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-interview-revenge-black-men-after-friend-raped-independent-2019-2
Mon, 04 Feb 2019 14:00:53 -0500Callie Ahlgrim
<p><img src="https://static2.thisisinsider.com/image/5c5875e3eb3ce81e651e1e35-2301/gettyimages-1058176990.jpg" border="0" alt="liam neeson" data-mce-source="Mike Coppola/Getty Images" /></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/liam-neeson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Liam Neeson</a> recently discussed an experience with wanting revenge during an interview with The Independent.</li>
<li>The action star told the publication that "some time ago," a friend told him that she was <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/rape" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raped</a> by a black man.</li>
<li><span>Neeson said after that, he carried a weapon hoping to be approached by a 'black b------' so he could kill him, according to The Independent.</span></li>
<li>Neeson said he had never told anyone about that experience and said he "<span>did learn a lesson from it."</span></li>
</ul>
<p><span>Liam Neeson recently told a self-described "awful" and "horrible" story <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/liam-neeson-interview-rape-race-black-man-revenge-taken-cold-pursuit-a8760896.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">during an interview with The Independent</a>, apparently intending to warn against the "primal" violence of revenge.</span></p>
<p><span>Neeson revealed that &mdash; when he was younger, but at an unspecified age &mdash; his friend told him that she was raped.</span></p>
<p><span>"She handled the situation of the rape in the most extraordinary way. But my immediate reaction was," he said, pausing. "I asked, did she know who it was? No. What color were they? She said it was a black person."</span></p>
<p><span>"I went up and down areas with a cosh," he continued, using a British term for a weapon that can bludgeon, "hoping I'd be approached by somebody. </span><span>I'm ashamed to say that."</span></p>
<p><span>"And I did it for maybe a week, hoping some 'black b------' would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know?" he said, using air quotes around the offensive term. "So that I could kill him."</span></p>
<p><span><img src="https://static2.thisisinsider.com/image/5c587a24eb3ce81f51592233-2400/taken-liam-neeson.jpg" border="0" alt="taken liam neeson" data-mce-source="Sam Urdank/Fox" /></span></p>
<p>Neeson said he had these thoughts for "<span>a week, maybe a week and a half." The "Taken" actor also said</span> he had never told anyone about that experience, but he "<span>did learn a lesson from it."</span></p>
<p>"It was horrible, horrible, when I think back, that I did that," he said. "It's awful. But I did learn a lesson from it, when I eventually thought, 'What the f--- are you doing,' you know?"</p>
<p><span>Neeson went on to discuss growing up in Northern Ireland with the Troubles, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/04/world/europe/northern-ireland-troubles.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a guerrilla war that left about 3,600 dead</a>, according to the New York Times. </span></p>
<p><span>"I knew a couple of guys that died on hunger strike, and I had acquaintances who were very caught up in the Troubles, and I understand that need for revenge, but it just leads to more revenge, to more killing and more killing, and Northern Ireland's proof of that," Neeson said. "All this stuff that's happening in the world, the violence, is proof of that, you know. But that primal need, I understand."</span></p>
<p><span>The interview took place during a press junket for Neeson's newest film "Cold Pursuit," in which he plays a father whose son is killed by a drug gang.</span></p>
<p><img src="https://static1.thisisinsider.com/image/5c587e16eb3ce8202208a483-2312/gettyimages-517173910.jpg" border="0" alt="liam neeson sons michael daniel" data-mce-source="TM/NHL/GC Images" data-mce-caption="Liam Neeson has two sons, Daniel Neeson and Miche&aacute;l Richardson, with his late wife Natasha Richardson." /></p>
<p><span>Lasana Harris, an associate professor of experimental psychology at University College Londo, told The Independent that violent incidents, such as rape, can affect or shape a person's thoughts on a specific community. </span></p>
<p><span>"And this is not just relevant to race," writes The Independent's <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/author/cl-mence-michallon">Cl&eacute;mence Michallon</a>. "For example, the thoughts one might harbor about young people, or old people as well as black people ... Our minds can generalize a negative experience with a person by categorizing them in a way that may be flawed."</span></p>
<p><span>Harris also noted, however, that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/12/black-men-america-violence-vulnerable-detroit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">black people are disproportionately characterized as violent</a>; that racist bias can lead to "black people being perceived as perpetrators of sexual assault."</span><span></span></p>
<p><span>Neeson declined to discuss the experience further when contacted by The Independent weeks later. Representatives for Neeson didn't immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment.</span></p>
<p><span><em>If you are a victim of sexual assault,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rainn.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">you can visit RAINN</a>&nbsp;or call its hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to receive confidential support from a trained staff member.</em></span></p><p><strong>SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/democrats-call-for-ralph-northam-resignation-blackface-photo-2019-2" >'No defense for that shockingly racist photograph': Democrats are calling for Gov. Ralph Northam's resignation after he appears in racist 1984 yearbook photo</a></strong></p>
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<p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/liam-neeson-interview-revenge-black-men-after-friend-raped-independent-2019-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/spider-man-far-from-home-trailer-meaning-2019-1">What the 'Spider-Man: Far From Home' trailer really means</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/atlanta-man-arrested-charged-woman-report-sexual-assault-facebook-live-2019-2Man charged over Facebook Live video that allegedly shows a woman 'possibly being raped' at a nightclubhttps://www.thisisinsider.com/atlanta-man-arrested-charged-woman-report-sexual-assault-facebook-live-2019-2
Fri, 01 Feb 2019 09:02:12 -0500Bill Bostock
<p><img src="https://static6.thisisinsider.com/image/5c54327e294f6a1bbb0e80f2-1543/screen shot 2019-02-01 at 114851.png" border="0" alt="Opera club atlanta" data-mce-source="Google Maps" data-mce-caption="The Opera Atlanta club in Atlanta's midtown." /></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li>A man has been charged after multiple people said they saw a man assault a woman during a Facebook Live stream, and called police.</li>
<li>Dominique Williams, 34, was charged with aggravated sodomy on Tuesday.</li>
<li>The Facebook Live was filmed at a birthday party at Ocean Atlanta nightclub on January 19.</li>
<li>Viewers told police a woman was seen "possibly being raped," local media reported, citing police reports.</li>
<li>Williams' lawyer says his client maintains his innocence. Williams is currently in Fulton County Jail.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>
<p>A man was arrested and charged on Tuesday after a witness reported seeing a woman "possibly being raped" on a Facebook Live video streamed from a nightclub, police said.</p>
<p>Dominique Williams turned himself into to Atlanta Police Department and was arrested and charged with aggravated sodomy, <a href="http://justice.fultoncountyga.gov/PAJailManager/JailingSearch.aspx?ID=400">according to inmate data from Fulton County Sheriffs Office</a>. The department had issued a warrant for his arrest earlier that day.</p>
<p>Williams' lawyer said his client was innocent.</p>
<p>The arrest came after police got multiple 911 calls saying a man could be seen on Facebook Live sexually assaulting a woman at the city's Opera Atlanta nightclub on January 19, the <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/man-charged-after-sexual-assault-inside-opera-was-streamed-facebook/lBXNx82AMp1Ne59sjpWapO/">Atlanta Journal Constitution reported</a>, citing police records.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Police came to the venue an hour after the stream ended, but could not find the suspect, <a href="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/no-stop-police-investigating-after-woman-streamed-her-assault-inside-opera/908412212">Channel 2 Action News said</a>.</p>
<p><img src="https://static2.thisisinsider.com/image/5c5439bd30c64e1df97b7f33-384/dominique williams.jpeg" border="0" alt="dominique williams" width="726" height="363" data-mce-source="Fulton County Sheriffs Department" data-mce-caption="34-year-old Dominique Williams has been charged with aggravated sodomy, police data shows." /></p>
<p>The police report quoted a witness who saw "a black female being groped on her chest and possibly being raped from behind" while saying "No, stop!" <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law/man-charged-after-sexual-assault-inside-opera-was-streamed-facebook/lBXNx82AMp1Ne59sjpWapO/">the Journal Constitution</a> quoted from police records.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The day after the incident was reported, Atlanta Police spokesman Jarius Daugherty said the video "appears to show a woman being sexually assaulted in a local nightclub," the Journal Constitution said.</p>
<p><img src="https://static4.thisisinsider.com/image/5c5432a6294f6a1bb63a15c3-1501/screen shot 2019-02-01 at 114933.png" border="0" alt="Atlanta opera club" style="color: #000000;" data-mce-source="Google Maps" data-mce-caption="The exterior of the Opera Atlanta nightclub in Atlanta's midtown." /></p>
<p>An unnamed person in the club was streaming a video of herself dancing at the birthday party along with the victim, who police have not named, when the incident happened, <a href="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/atlanta/no-stop-police-investigating-after-woman-streamed-her-assault-inside-opera/908412212">Channel 2 Action News said.</a></p>
<p><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/31/us/atlanta-nightclub-assault-allegation/index.html">CNN quoted the police incident report</a> which said: "In the video you can clearly hear the female saying "stop, please somebody help me."</p>
<p>The nightclub in question, Opera Atlanta on Crescent Avenue, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/operaatlanta/photos/a.224114170176/10161221695460177/?type=3&amp;theater">posted a statement to Facebook the day after the incident</a>, which said they were aiding police in any way they could.</p>
<p>The victim had also told police her drink was spiked with drugs, the news reports said.</p>
<p>Williams' attorney, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtTutzzAZPM/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">Shequel Ross, said</a> his client denies sexually assaulting or drugging the woman. He said there is "no evidence that supports that Mr. Williams raped or sexually assaulted."</p>
<p><a href="https://www.georgiacriminallawyer.com/aggravated-sodomy">According to Georgia law</a>, aggravated sodomy is "sodomy with force and against the will of the other person." The minimum jail term if convicted is 25 years.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The Facebook Live video was deleted from Facebook the day after the stream, Channel 2 Action News reported.<a href="https://live.fb.com/about/"></a></p>
<p>Facebook Live footage has also been involved in some murder cases in the past.</p>
<p>In a murder case in February 2018, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/27/us/north-carolina-man-shot-on-facebook-live/index.html">a 55-year-old man was shot dead while livestreaming himself leaving a police station in North Carolina</a>.&nbsp;</p>
<p>A woman was <a href="https://nypost.com/2018/04/17/you-wanna-be-famous-mom-streams-own-murder-on-facebook-live/">reportedly shot dead by her boyfriend while she live streamed</a> their domestic argument on Facebook Live in April 2017.&nbsp;</p>
<p>When asked about the charges, Facebook told INSIDER: "We do not allow content that depicts sexual violence or assault. As such, the video has been removed for breaking our Community Standards."</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/atlanta-man-arrested-charged-woman-report-sexual-assault-facebook-live-2019-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/a-makeup-artist-shows-us-how-to-do-eye-makeup-for-monolids-2019-3">A makeup artist shows us how to do eye makeup for monolids</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/bill-timmons-hacienda-healthcare-ceo-accused-of-sexual-harassment-2019-1Longtime Hacienda HealthCare CEO was allowed to keep his job despite years of reported sexual harassment and bullying complaintshttps://www.thisisinsider.com/bill-timmons-hacienda-healthcare-ceo-accused-of-sexual-harassment-2019-1
Fri, 25 Jan 2019 15:03:47 -0500Ashley Collman
<p><img src="https://static4.thisisinsider.com/image/5c4b54795241471b8c1663d4-1638/hacienda healthcare.png" border="0" alt="hacienda healthcare" data-mce-source="ABC 15" data-mce-caption="The Hacienda Skilled Nursing Facility is now the center of a sexual assault investigation by the Phoenix Police Department." data-link="https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/former-caregiver-of-alleged-hacienda-healthcare-sex-assault-victim-speaks-to-abc15" /></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li>The<a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-investigations/2019/01/24/hacienda-ex-ceo-faced-sexual-harassment-and-other-employee-complaints/2647517002/"> Arizona Republic</a> published a report on Thursday detailing years of complaints against former <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/hacienda-healthcare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hacienda HealthCare</a> CEO Bill Timmons.</li>
<li>Timmons resigned earlier this month after a cognitively impaired patient at one of the nonprofit's facilities was raped.</li>
<li>The report includes an allegation from one former employee who says Timmons approached her at a fundraiser, told her she had a "sexy mouth" and asked her how often she masturbated.</li>
<li>The board reportedly hired a law firm to investigate the complaint, but allowed Timmons to keep his job.</li>
</ul>
<p>A shocking report is shedding new light on the man who led Hacienda HealthCare for more than two decades.</p>
<p>The nonprofit has come under increased scrutiny in the last month after a cognitively impaired patient gave birth to a baby boy. A nurse at the facility, Nathan Sutherland, has since been charged with sexually assaulting the woman. He is pleading not guilty.</p>
<p>About a week after the patient gave birth, the company's president and longtime CEO, Bill Timmons, resigned.</p>
<p>Former employees have since spoken out to the <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-investigations/2019/01/24/hacienda-ex-ceo-faced-sexual-harassment-and-other-employee-complaints/2647517002/">Arizona Republic</a> accusing Timmons of sexual harassment. They also say he was verbally abusive and fostered a toxic company culture.</p>
<p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/arizona-hacienda-ceo-resigns-after-vegetative-state-woman-gave-birth-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">An Arizona nursing home CEO resigned after a cognitively impaired patient gave birth at the facility</a></em></p>
<p><img style="float:right;" src="https://static3.thisisinsider.com/image/5c4b57a95241472cfa001733-2000/bill timmons.png" border="0" alt="bill timmons" data-mce-source="Hacienda HealthCare" data-mce-caption="Bill Timmons, former CEO of Hacienda HealthCare" /></p>
<p>One of the employees who spoke to the Republic is Louise Jay. Jay managed a thrift store for the company's foundation and said she complained about Timmons making sexually inappropriate comments to her in 2006.</p>
<p>She told the Republic this happened during the very first time they met at a fundraiser. Jay said she introduced herself but Timmons pretended not to hear what she said, leaned in close to her and allegedly said, "What was that? Cunnilingus? Fellatio?"</p>
<p>According to the Republic, Jay said she was at first flustered, but collected herself and told Timmons, "You can't speak to me that way." She said he responded by saying "Why not?"</p>
<p>Jay told the paper her date overheard everything and tried to intervene, but Timmons wouldn't back down. Instead, Jay said, he leaned in again until he was almost touching her lips when he said, "You have a sexy mouth. What do you do with that mouth?"</p>
<p>At this point, Jay said she started to back away, and Timmons pursued, eventually backing her up into a bunch of chairs. She said he then asked her about her sexual urges and how often she masturbated, according to the Republic.</p>
<p>Jay told the paper she was able to maneuver herself around him, went and complained to her supervisor about what had happened, and then left the event.</p>
<p>After the incident, Jay said the board of directors hired a law firm to look into her complaint, according to the Republic. While she felt that the lawyer who interviewed her took her allegation seriously, she said the investigation essentially went nowhere. At the end, she said she was called into a meeting with the board, and Timmons apologized to her. But he was able to keep his job reportedly after agreeing to attend sexual harassment training.</p>
<p><img src="https://static6.thisisinsider.com/image/5c3515f601c0ea3a7c473374-2000/former hacienda healthcare caregiver.png" border="0" alt="former hacienda healthcare caregiver" data-mce-source="ABC 15" data-mce-caption="A person (left) spoke out on Monday, claiming to be a former longterm caregiver of the woman who gave birth while in a vegetative state at a Phoenix, Arizona nursing facility late last month." data-link="https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/former-caregiver-of-alleged-hacienda-healthcare-sex-assault-victim-speaks-to-abc15" /></p>
<p>Soon after Jay made her complaint, two other former employees reportedly accused Timmons of similar behavior. Two former employees told the Republic that one woman said Timmons grabbed her butt, while the other said he made sexually suggestive remarks to her and harassed her about dating him.</p>
<p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-employee-fired-2013-inappropriate-sexual-comments-2019-1">At the Arizona nursing home where a cognitively-impaired woman gave birth, an employee was fired in 2013 for making 'inappropriate, sexual' comments to patients</a></em></p>
<h2>Employees accuse Timmons of fostering a toxic company culture</h2>
<p>Rhonda Pigati, Hacienda's former human-resources manager, told the paper that employees regularly complained about Timmons' aggressive and bizarre behavior.</p>
<p>"He absolutely did yell at people," Pigati said. "He pounded his fist on the table. His face would get beet-red."</p>
<p>Four former employees who spoke with the Republic described him as a bully and a tyrant.</p>
<p>One former employee and former director described a time when Timmons got so angry during a meeting that he jumped up on the conference table and started pacing while yelling.</p>
<p><img src="https://static3.thisisinsider.com/image/5c4b6356524147511c365c75-1711/screen shot 2019-01-08 at 094445.png" border="0" alt="Hacienda Health bus arizona" data-mce-source="CBS 3 News" data-mce-caption="A Hacienda Health Care bus passes the centre." /></p>
<p>On another occasion, employees alleged, his shirt got dirty with fresh paint, so he took it off, threw it at a housekeeping staff member and then continued to lead the meeting bare-chested.</p>
<p>Pigati told the Republic she was horrified to learn of the rape but wasn't surprised because she said Timmons fostered an environment where employees were afraid of making complaints.</p>
<p>"It made me sick, but sadly, I wasn't surprised," she said. "I wasn't surprised because of the culture he created."</p>
<p>Board President Tom Pomeroy issued a statement to the Republic, confirming the complaints against Timmons and saying it was a hard decision to make at the time, deciding what the right punishment was.</p>
<p>"In the wake of Timmons' resignation, people have raised the question of whether he should have been fired years ago. While in hindsight it may appear to be an easy call, it was not that simple in the moment," Pomeroy said.</p>
<p>"While Timmons attracted controversy and detractors, his years-long advocacy for Hacienda's clients and their families helped fuel the growth of the company and increase its ability to change lives for the better."</p>
<p>Timmons didn't respond to INSIDER's request for comment.</p>
<h2><a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-investigations/2019/01/24/hacienda-ex-ceo-faced-sexual-harassment-and-other-employee-complaints/2647517002/">Read the full story from the Arizona Republic &raquo;</a></h2>
<ul class="read-more-links">
<li>Read more about <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/hacienda-healthcare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hacienda HealthCare</a>:</li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/nathan-sutherland-pleading-not-guilty-arizona-sexual-assault-case-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Nurse accused of sexually assaulting cognitively impaired patient at an Arizona nursing facility is pleading not guilty</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-arrest-made-in-rape-of-female-patient-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Police arrest 36-year-old nurse in sexual-assault case of cognitively impaired woman at Phoenix care facility</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-new-assault-investigation-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Police are investigating a second assault accusation at the Arizona care facility where a cognitively impaired woman gave birth</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-patient-more-cognizant-than-previously-reported-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">The cognitively impaired woman who gave birth at an Arizona care facility is more cognizant than previously reported, her family's attorney reveals</a></li>
</ul><p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/bill-timmons-hacienda-healthcare-ceo-accused-of-sexual-harassment-2019-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/new-orleans-crazy-drink-capital-of-the-world-2017-5">New Orleans is the wild drink capital of the world — here's what you need to try</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/nathan-sutherland-pleading-not-guilty-arizona-sexual-assault-case-2019-1Nurse accused of sexually assaulting cognitively impaired patient at an Arizona nursing facility is pleading not guiltyhttps://www.thisisinsider.com/nathan-sutherland-pleading-not-guilty-arizona-sexual-assault-case-2019-1
Thu, 24 Jan 2019 12:52:32 -0500Ashley Collman
<p><img src="https://static3.thisisinsider.com/image/5c49cd88524147300115d1c2-1562/nathan sutherland in court 2.png" border="0" alt="nathan sutherland in court 2" data-mce-source="Arizona's Family" data-mce-caption="Nathan Sutherland, left, made his first court appearance on Wednesday in the case of a patient who was raped at a Phoenix care facility." data-link="https://www.azfamily.com/news/investigations/hacienda_healthcare/phoenix-police-make-arrest-after-patient-gives-birth-at-hacienda/article_bfb31fba-1f1c-11e9-a4fd-1f16462fb8e5.html" /></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li>Nathan Sutherland, 36, appeared in court for the first time on Wednesday as he faced charges in connection to the sexual assault of a female patient at the Hacienda Skilled Nursing Facility in Phoenix.</li>
<li>The unnamed female patient, 29, gave birth to a baby boy late last month, sparking an investigation.</li>
<li>Sutherland, a licensed practical nurse who cared for the victim, was ordered held on $500,000 cash bond as he awaits trial.</li>
<li>His lawyer said the only evidence in the case is the DNA sample that investigators say proves Sutherland is the father of the victim's child. Sutherland is pleading not guilty.</li>
</ul>
<p>The nurse accused of sexually assaulting a cognitively impaired patient who gave birth at a Phoenix care facility appeared in court for the first time on Wednesday.</p>
<p><img style="float:right;" src="https://static1.thisisinsider.com/image/5c48b18b524147146d67bdf5-2000/nathan sutherland mugshot.jpg" border="0" alt="nathan sutherland mugshot.JPG" data-mce-source="Maricopa County Sheriff's Office/Reuters" data-mce-caption="Suspect Nathan Sutherland, 36." />Nathan Sutherland, 36, was ordered held on $500,000 cash bond as he awaits trial on charges of sexual assault and vulnerable adult abuse, which are both felonies. He is pleading not guilty.</p>
<p>Prosecutors also asked that Sutherland submit to an HIV test, but the judge said that was not possible at the time.</p>
<p>During the brief hearing, Sutherland's attorney, David Gregan, said the only evidence in the case is the DNA sample that investigators say proves Sutherland is the father of the victim's child. Gregan said they will be conducting their own independent DNA test. He added that Sutherland has no prior arrests.</p>
<p>"He seems to be OK under the circumstances," Gregan told <a href="https://www.azfamily.com/news/investigations/hacienda_healthcare/phoenix-police-make-arrest-after-patient-gives-birth-at-hacienda/article_bfb31fba-1f1c-11e9-a4fd-1f16462fb8e5.html">local CBS affiliate Arizona's Family</a>. "He's innocent until proven guilty, as all defendants are. We've entered a not guilty pleas on his behalf; now we have to let the process play out."</p>
<p>The mayor, police chief, and a team of investigators announced Sutherland's arrest at a highly publicized news conference Wednesday morning.</p>
<p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-arrest-made-in-rape-of-female-patient-2019-1">Police arrest 36-year-old nurse in sexual-assault case of cognitively impaired woman at Phoenix care facility</a></em></p>
<p>Phoenix authorities say they obtained a DNA sample from the nurse on Tuesday, and identified him as the father of the victim's baby soon after. Sutherland continued to work at the facility as investigators tried to identify the assaulter, and completed what would be his last shift on Sunday, <a href="https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/who-is-nathan-sutherland-the-nurse-accused-of-raping-an-incapacitated-woman/75-518072d6-0c7d-47d1-8a96-3a5c78d31030" target="_blank" rel="noopener">local NBC affiliate 12 News reported</a>. He was booked into the Maricopa County Jail on Wednesday morning.</p>
<p>Sutherland was immediately fired from Hacienda HealthCare on Wednesday. In a <a href="https://www.azfamily.com/news/investigations/hacienda_healthcare/phoenix-police-make-arrest-after-patient-gives-birth-at-hacienda/article_bfb31fba-1f1c-11e9-a4fd-1f16462fb8e5.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, the company said they are "troubled beyond words to think that a licensed practical nurse could be capable of seriously harming a patient."</p>
<p>"Once again, we offer an apology and send our deepest sympathies to the client and her family, to the community and our agency partners at every level," Hacienda added.</p>
<p>The statement continued to explain that Sutherland was a licensed professional and had "undergone an extensive background check upon hiring," and that the facility has increased security measures in the last two weeks.</p>
<h2>Sutherland has reportedly been married twice and has 2 kids</h2>
<p><img src="https://static6.thisisinsider.com/image/5c49d604524147195c3355b6-1062/hacienda healthcare.png" border="0" alt="hacienda healthcare" data-mce-source="ABC 15" data-mce-caption="The Hacienda Skilled Nursing Facility is now the center of a sexual assault investigation by the Phoenix Police Department." data-link="https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/former-caregiver-of-alleged-hacienda-healthcare-sex-assault-victim-speaks-to-abc15" /></p>
<p>According to state nursing records the <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2019/01/23/hacienda-healthcare-sexual-assault-case-who-nathan-sutherland-nurse/2659072002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arizona Republic obtained</a>, Sutherland completed his nursing-assistant training in 2005, and later passed the exam to become a licensed practical nurse in 2011. That license allows him to practice as an LPN in multiple states and doesn't expire until April 2020. When he applied to renew his nursing license in April 2016, he reportedly listed himself as married and said that he had been working at Hacienda HealthCare since January 2012.</p>
<p>It has also been revealed that Sutherland was married twice, and that his second wife reportedly filed for divorce on December 5 &mdash; just three weeks before the victim gave birth.</p>
<p>The Republic obtained the divorce petition, in which Sutherland's estranged wife asked that the court not release her address because she's afraid that Sutherland's ex-wife and mother would harass her "as they did before."</p>
<p>The two were reportedly married in 2012, shortly after Sutherland divorced his first wife. Sutherland does not have any kids with his second wife, but had two from his first marriage, according to the Republic.</p>
<h2>He was apparently part of a Christian rap duo</h2>
<p><img src="https://static1.thisisinsider.com/image/5c488f035241470b1414b9b2-2000/phoenix police chief jeri williams.png" border="0" alt="phoenix police chief jeri williams" data-mce-source="Arizona's Family" data-mce-caption="Police Chief Jeri Williams announced the arrest at a Wednesday morning press conference." /></p>
<p>According to videos seen by <a href="https://www.abc15.com/news/hacienda-investigation/hacienda-healthcare-sexual-assault-nurse-arrested-was-christian-rapper-is-under-divorce">ABC 15 Arizona</a>, Sutherland is also part of a Christian rap duo called Sleeplesssouljaz with his sister. Sutherland explains in one video that he and his sister were born in Haiti, but were put up for adoption by their mother after their parents split as kids and she couldn't take care of them anymore.</p>
<p>In 1989, an American couple adopted them and brought them to the US, when Sutherland was 7 and his sister was 4, according to an <a href="https://store.cdbaby.com/artist/SLSSleeplessouljaz">online bio</a> about the group.</p>
<p>Sutherland's lawyer said in court Wednesday that his client had been living in Arizona since 1993 and became a naturalized citizen in 2011.</p>
<ul class="read-more-links">
<li>Read more about Hacienda HealthCare:</li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-patient-more-cognizant-than-previously-reported-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">The cognitively impaired woman who gave birth at an Arizona care facility is more cognizant than previously reported, her family's attorney reveals</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-doctors-out-amid-patient-assault-investigation-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">A doctor who cared for a woman who gave birth after a suspected sexual assault at an Arizona care center has been suspended, and another has resigned</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-new-assault-investigation-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Police are investigating a second assault accusation at the Arizona care facility where a cognitively impaired woman gave birth</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/woman-in-vegetative-state-disabled-raped-with-shocking-frequency-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">The cognitively impaired woman who gave birth at an Arizona care facility has given a face to an issue that happens with disturbing frequency</a></li>
</ul><p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/nathan-sutherland-pleading-not-guilty-arizona-sexual-assault-case-2019-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/oscar-nominees-gift-bag-distinctive-assets-2019-2">See what's inside the $100,000 Oscars gift bag</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-arrest-made-in-rape-of-female-patient-2019-1Police arrest 36-year-old nurse in sexual-assault case of cognitively impaired woman at Phoenix care facilityhttps://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-arrest-made-in-rape-of-female-patient-2019-1
Wed, 23 Jan 2019 10:40:36 -0500Ashley Collman
<p><img src="https://static2.thisisinsider.com/image/5c48888c52414701bd512fe6-1514/hacienda healthcare.png" border="0" alt="hacienda healthcare" data-mce-source="ABC 15" data-mce-caption="The Hacienda Skilled Nursing Facility is now the center of a sexual assault investigation by the Phoenix Police Department." data-link="https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/former-caregiver-of-alleged-hacienda-healthcare-sex-assault-victim-speaks-to-abc15" /></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li>Phoenix police have made an arrest in the sexual-assault case of a cognitively impaired woman who was a patient at the Hacienda HealthCare Skilled Nursing Facility.</li>
<li>The 29-year-old woman unexpectedly gave birth late last month, sparking a sexual-assault investigation.</li>
<li>At a Wednesday morning press conference, police identified the suspect as licensed nurse Nathan Sutherland, 36.</li>
</ul>
<p>A male nurse has been arrested in connection to the sexual assault of a cognitively impaired woman at a Phoenix care facility.</p>
<p>The unnamed 29-year-old woman unexpectedly gave birth late last month at the Hacienda HealthCare Skilled Nursing Facility, sparking a sexual-assault investigation for which police took DNA swabs from all male staff members in order to determine the baby's paternity.<img style="float:right;" src="https://static1.thisisinsider.com/image/5c48b18b524147146d67bdf5-2000/nathan sutherland mugshot.jpg" border="0" alt="nathan sutherland mugshot.JPG" data-mce-source="Maricopa County Sheriff's Office/Reuters" data-mce-caption="Suspect Nathan Sutherland, 36." /></p>
<p>At a Wednesday morning press conference, police identified the suspect as 36-year-old Nathan Sutherland, a licensed nurse who took care of the woman at the facility.</p>
<p>Police said Sutherland was arrested on one count of sexual assault and one count of vulnerable adult abuse. He is being held at the Maricopa County Jail. He has invoked his Fifth Amendment right and is not speaking to police about the case.</p>
<p>"This was an employee, rather than a stranger who made his way into the facility," police spokesman Sgt. Tommy Thompson said during the press conference. "We have no indication that there were other people involved, but again, this is an ongoing investigation."</p>
<p>Thompson also said police may never know how many times the woman was assaulted.</p>
<p>Sutherland is a licensed practicing nurse who has worked at the facility since 2011, Thompson said. Police collected his DNA yesterday.</p>
<p>Thompson said the woman's baby is doing "quite well" and believes the boy is out of the hospital. He believes it was a full-term pregnancy.</p>
<p><img src="https://static2.thisisinsider.com/image/5c488f035241470b1414b9b2-1492/phoenix police chief jeri williams.png" border="0" alt="phoenix police chief jeri williams" style="color: #000000;" data-mce-source="Arizona's Family" data-mce-caption="Police Chief Jeri Williams announced the arrest at a Wednesday morning press conference." /></p>
<h2>The family's attorney says the woman is more cognizant than previously reported&nbsp;</h2>
<p>John Micheaels, an attorney for the woman's family, told INSIDER on Tuesday that the woman has been a patient at the facility for over 20 years. He said she was left significantly cognitively disabled following seizures she had at a young age.</p>
<p><em><strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-doctors-out-amid-patient-assault-investigation-2019-1">A doctor who cared for a woman who gave birth after a suspected rape at an Arizona care center has been suspended, and another has resigned</a></em></p>
<p>It was originally reported that the woman, a member of the San Carlos Apache tribe, was in a vegetative state, in which one has no cognitive function. Her family clarified in a statement Micheaels issued Tuesday that she has some awareness of her surroundings and control over her body.</p>
<p>"She does not speak but has some ability to move her limbs, head and neck. Their daughter responds to sound and is able to make facial gestures," the statement said.</p>
<p>"The important thing is that she is a beloved daughter, albeit with significant intellectual disabilities. She has feelings, likes to be read to, enjoys soft music, and is capable of responding to people she is familiar with, especially family," the statement continued.</p>
<p>Micheaels told INSIDER in a statement on Wednesday that the family is aware of the arrest, doesn't wish to comment, and asks for privacy.</p>
<ul class="read-more-links">
<li>Read more about Hacienda HealthCare:</li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-new-assault-investigation-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Police are investigating a second assault accusation at the Arizona care facility where a cognitively impaired woman gave birth</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-patient-more-cognizant-than-previously-reported-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">The cognitively impaired woman who gave birth at an Arizona care facility is more cognizant than previously reported, her family's attorney reveals</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-employee-fired-2013-inappropriate-sexual-comments-2019-1" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">At the Arizona nursing home where a cognitively impaired woman gave birth, an employee was fired in 2013 for making 'inappropriate, sexual' comments to patients</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-caregiver-speaks-out-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Former caregiver of the cognitively impaired woman who gave birth at a nursing home says she never could have given consent, and an ex-manager says the company covered up another sexually inappropriate incident</a></li>
</ul><p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-arrest-made-in-rape-of-female-patient-2019-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/swedish-mcdonalds-mcvegan-unique-menu-fast-food-2019-2">We tried all the unique menu items at Swedish McDonald's — including the McVegan</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-patient-more-cognizant-than-previously-reported-2019-1The cognitively impaired woman who gave birth at an Arizona care facility is more cognizant than previously reported, her family's attorney revealshttps://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-patient-more-cognizant-than-previously-reported-2019-1
Tue, 22 Jan 2019 14:48:58 -0500Ashley Collman
<p><img src="https://static2.thisisinsider.com/image/5c476b075241471b88532bf4-1505/ap19008847297314.jpg" border="0" alt="Hacienda HealthCare" data-mce-source="Ross D. Franklin/AP Photo" data-mce-caption="This Friday, Jan. 4, 2019, photo shows Hacienda HealthCare in Phoenix." /></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li>Last month, a Phoenix care facility made headlines when it was reported that a patient there gave birth despite having been in a vegetative state for over 20 years.</li>
<li>Now the woman's attorney is speaking out to say that descriptions of her condition have been misreported.</li>
<li>The family's lawyer, John Micheaels, told INSIDER on Tuesday that the patient is not in a vegetative state, but rather significantly cognitively impaired from seizures as a child.</li>
<li>She recognizes family members, has some movement, and can make facial expressions, the attorney said.</li>
</ul>
<p>The attorney of an Arizona care facility patient whose surprise pregnancy has sparked a sexual-assault investigation is speaking out to clarify the details of her condition.</p>
<p>When the 29-year-old woman gave birth to a baby boy at the Hacienda HealthCare Skilled Nursing Facility in Phoenix late last month, local reports said she was in a <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/what-is-a-vegetative-state-vs-coma-hacienda-healthcare-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vegetative state</a>, a condition in which a person has no cognitive ability or control over their movements, but their organs continue to operate.</p>
<p>But in an email to INSIDER on Tuesday, the woman's attorney, John Micheaels, said she is not vegetative, but rather "significantly cognitively disabled."</p>
<p>He also said reports that she became disabled because of a near-drowning incident as a child were false. Her impairment is due to seizures she had at a young age, he said.</p>
<p>Micheaels said she has been a patient at the facility for over 20 years.</p>
<p><img src="https://static3.thisisinsider.com/image/5c34717301c0ea163b4bff82-1852/screen shot 2019-01-08 at 094445.png" border="0" alt="Hacienda Health bus arizona" data-mce-source="CBS 3 News" data-mce-caption="A Hacienda Health Care bus passes the centre." /></p>
<p>The woman's family issued a statement through Micheaels on Tuesday, detailing how she is aware of those close to her and that she can make some movements and facial gestures:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">"The victim's parents would like to make clear that their daughter is not in a coma. She has significant intellectual disabilities as a result of seizures very early in her childhood. She does not speak but has some ability to move her limbs, head and neck.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">"Their daughter responds to sound and is able to make facial gestures. The important thing is that she is a beloved daughter, albeit with significant intellectual disabilities. She has feelings, likes to be read to, enjoys soft music, and is capable of responding to people she is familiar with, especially family."</p>
<p><em><strong>Read more</strong>: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-doctors-out-amid-patient-assault-investigation-2019-1">A doctor who cared for a woman who gave birth after a suspected rape at an Arizona care center has been suspended, and another has resigned</a></em></p>
<p>Micheaels provided no explanation as to why the woman's condition went misreported for weeks. INSIDER first reached out to Micheaels on January 9, when we learned that he had been hired as the family's attorney. He did not respond to our email at the time.</p>
<p>Phoenix police continue to investigate whether the woman's pregnancy resulted from a sexual assault. Earlier this month they obtained warrants to take DNA samples from all the male staff members at the facility in an attempt to identify the baby's father.</p>
<p>On Monday, local CBS affiliate <a href="https://www.azfamily.com/news/investigations/hacienda_healthcare/hacienda-healthcare-doctor-who-cared-for-patient-who-gave-birth/article_b8020248-1dc5-11e9-ac89-3bbd2a8154d0.html">Arizona's Family</a> broke the news that two doctors who worked directly with the patient are no longer working at the facility. One was suspended and one resigned.</p>
<p>The woman's family is taking care of the baby boy.</p>
<ul class="read-more-links">
<li>Read more about Hacienda HealthCare:</li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-new-assault-investigation-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Police are investigating a second assault accusation at the Arizona care facility where a woman unexpectedly gave birth</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/woman-in-vegetative-state-disabled-raped-with-shocking-frequency-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">The woman who gave birth at the Arizona care facility has given a face to an issue that happens with disturbing frequency</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-employee-fired-2013-inappropriate-sexual-comments-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">At the Arizona nursing home where a woman gave birth, an employee was fired in 2013 for making 'inappropriate, sexual' comments to patients</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-caregiver-speaks-out-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Former caregiver of the nursing home patient who gave birth says she never could have given consent, and an ex-manager claims the company covered up another sexually inappropriate incident</a></li>
</ul><p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-patient-more-cognizant-than-previously-reported-2019-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/the-2-post-credit-scenes-in-captain-marvel-explained-spoilers-2019-3">The 2 Post Credit Scenes in 'Captain Marvel' Explained (SPOILERS)</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-doctors-out-amid-patient-assault-investigation-2019-1A doctor who cared for a woman who gave birth after a suspected rape at an Arizona care center has been suspended, and another has resignedhttps://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-doctors-out-amid-patient-assault-investigation-2019-1
Tue, 22 Jan 2019 12:58:08 -0500Ashley Collman
<p><img src="https://static5.thisisinsider.com/image/5c474104524147121c01f7a4-1571/hacienda healthcare.png" border="0" alt="hacienda healthcare" data-mce-source="ABC 15" data-mce-caption="The Hacienda Skilled Nursing Facility is now the center of a sexual assault investigation by the Phoenix Police Department." data-link="https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/central-phoenix/former-caregiver-of-alleged-hacienda-healthcare-sex-assault-victim-speaks-to-abc15" /></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li>Two doctors who cared for a cognitively impaired woman who gave birth last month at an Arizona care facility are no longer working at the nursing home.</li>
<li>One of the doctors resigned while the other was suspended, the facility said in a statement.</li>
<li>Phoenix Police are investigating the pregnancy as a possible sexual assault.</li>
</ul>
<p>Two doctors are out at the Phoenix, Arizona care facility where a cognitively impaired woman gave birth last month.</p>
<p>Both of the doctors worked directly with the unnamed 29-year-old patient, according to a statement Hacienda Healthcare released to local CBS affiliate <a href="https://www.azfamily.com/news/investigations/hacienda_healthcare/hacienda-healthcare-doctor-who-cared-for-patient-who-gave-birth/article_b8020248-1dc5-11e9-ac89-3bbd2a8154d0.html">Arizona's Family</a>.</p>
<p>"The two physicians who were responsible for the care of the sexual assault victim are no longer providing medical services to Hacienda patients. One has resigned. The other one has been suspended," the statement reads.</p>
<p>The facility's statement continues: "Once again, we offer an apology and send our deepest sympathy to the client and her family. Hacienda intends to do everything possible to restore its credibility in the eyes of our patients, families, the community and our agency partners at every level."</p>
<p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-patient-more-cognizant-than-previously-reported-2019-1">The cognitively impaired woman who gave birth at an Arizona care facility is more cognizant than previously reported, her family's attorney reveals</a></em></p>
<h2>We're learning more about the woman's condition</h2>
<p>Meanwhile, INSIDER is learning new details about the woman's condition through the family's lawyer, John Micheaels.</p>
<p>In an email to INSIDER on Tuesday, Micheaels said his client "is not in a vegetative state," as previously reported, but "significantly cognitively impaired."</p>
<p>While previous reports said she ended up in this condition due to a near-drowning incident as a child, Micheaels said this was misreported as well and it was actually due to seizures she suffered as a kid.</p>
<p>The victim's family also issued a statement through Micheaels on Tuesday, clarifying her condition:</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">"The victim's parents would like to make clear that their daughter is not in a coma. She has significant intellectual disabilities as a result of seizures very early her childhood. She does not speak but has some ability to move her limbs, head and neck.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">"Their daughter responds to sound and is able to make facial gestures. The important thing is that she is a beloved daughter, albeit with significant intellectual disabilities. She has feelings, likes to be read to, enjoys soft music and is capable of responding to people she is familiar with, especially family."</p>
<p>It's unclear how the description of the woman's condition, and how she ended up impaired, was misreported for weeks. INSIDER first reached out to Micheaels on January 9, but didn't receive a response.</p>
<p>The sexual assault investigation into her pregnancy continues. Earlier this month, <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-police-to-take-dna-male-employees-2019-1">Phoenix Police were granted warrants</a> to take DNA samples from the male staff at the facility in an attempt to identify the baby's father.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, the <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-health/2019/01/16/arizona-orders-third-party-manager-hacienda-healthcare-after-patient-rape/2597064002/">state has ordered the facility</a> to <a href="http://archive.azcentral.com/persistent/icimages/news/Hacienda_011619.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hire an outside manager</a> to run the facility.</p>
<ul class="read-more-links">
<li>
<ul class="read-more-links">
<li>Read more:</li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-new-assault-investigation-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Police are investigating a second assault accusation at the Arizona care facility where a cognitively-impaired woman gave birth</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-doctors-out-amid-patient-assault-investigation-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">A doctor who cared for a woman who gave birth after a suspected rape at an Arizona care center has been suspended, and another has resigned</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/woman-in-vegetative-state-gives-birth-prompting-investigation-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Police are investigating a possible sexual assault after a cognitively-impaired woman gave birth at an Arizona care facility</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/woman-in-vegetative-state-disabled-raped-with-shocking-frequency-2019-1" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">The cognitively-impaired woman who gave birth at an Arizona care facility has given a face to an issue that happens with disturbing frequency</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul><p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-doctors-out-amid-patient-assault-investigation-2019-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/oscar-nominees-gift-bag-distinctive-assets-2019-2">See what's inside the $100,000 Oscars gift bag</a></p> https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-new-assault-investigation-2019-1Police are investigating a second assault accusation at the Arizona care facility where a cognitively-impaired woman gave birthhttps://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-new-assault-investigation-2019-1
Fri, 18 Jan 2019 11:04:12 -0500Ashley Collman
<p><img src="https://static5.thisisinsider.com/image/5c41e47d5241476d030f5667-1505/ap19008847297314.jpg" border="0" alt="Hacienda HealthCare" data-mce-source="Ross D. Franklin/AP Photo" data-mce-caption="This Friday, Jan. 4, 2019, photo shows Hacienda HealthCare in Phoenix." /></p><p></p>
<ul class="summary-list">
<li>The Phoenix, Arizona care facility where a cognitively-impaired patient gave birth last month has been hit with a new assault allegation, according to Fox 10.</li>
<li>A source told the outlet that a patient at Hacienda Skilled Nursing Facility recently told a social worker that two staff members had struck her in the face and arms multiple times in the past few months.</li>
<li>Phoenix police confirmed to Fox 10 that they are investigating the allegation.</li>
</ul>
<p>Hacienda Skilled Nursing Facility, the Phoenix, Arizona care facility at the center of a rape investigation, has reportedly been hit with a new assault allegation.</p>
<p>A source told <a href="http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-news/source-phoenix-police-investigating-new-allegation-of-assault-at-hacienda-healthcare">Fox 10</a> that a patient at the facility recently told a social worker that two staff members struck her in the face and arms multiple times in the past few months. The social worker in turn went to police.</p>
<p>An official with the City of Phoenix confirmed to Fox 10 that police are investigating the new allegation. The source told Fox 10 that the patient isn't injured.</p>
<p>INSIDER reached out to Hacienda Healthcare for comment on the new allegation on Friday, and they issued a statement saying that the patient showed no signs of injury and "has a history of attention-seeking behavior."</p>
<p>Here's their full statement:&nbsp;</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">"Yesterday afternoon during a survey of Hacienda&rsquo;s ICF-ID unit by federal and state auditors, one patient - a woman who suffers from a serious intellectual disability - made an allegation of abuse against two female staffers, a registered nurse and a certified caregiver.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">"The patient, who has a history of attention-seeking behavior, claimed she had been yelled at by the staff members and struck in the head and arm.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">"As we always do when such claims are made, Hacienda acted immediately and proactively. Leadership immediately called police, state regulatory agencies and the patient's legal guardian. The staffers - both of whom denied the allegations and both of whom have spotless records - were put on administrative leave within minutes.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">"The patient was immediately given a full and thorough medical examination. She displayed no signs of injury or abuse whatsoever.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;">"Regardless, our internal investigation will continue. We will also cooperate fully with law-enforcement and the agencies involved."</p>
<p><img src="https://static2.thisisinsider.com/image/5c2fde9c01c0ea17bf1d39f3-2000/hacienda healthcare.png" border="0" alt="hacienda healthcare" style="color: #000000;" data-mce-source="azfamily.com" data-link="https://www.azfamily.com/news/woman-in-vegetative-state-gives-birth-at-hacienda-healthcare-in/article_9342c7c4-0fb2-11e9-8138-4fcd53869faf.html" /></p>
<p>Meanwhile, the family of the 29-year-old woman who gave birth at the facility late last month issued a statement on Wednesday through their lawyer, responding to the news that attorney Rick Romley had been hired to conduct an investigation into the patient's suspected assault.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-news/family-of-woman-in-vegetative-state-who-gave-birth-at-hacienda-healthcare-releases-statement">The statement reads: </a>"My clients trust that Mr. Romley's investigation will be as promised fully transparent and made available to them as the victims of this appalling tragedy. My clients also hope Mr. Romley's investigation will result in the changes at Hacienda necessary to prevent further abuse and neglect of its patients."</p>
<p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-patient-more-cognizant-than-previously-reported-2019-1">The cognitively impaired woman who gave birth at an Arizona care facility is more cognizant than previously reported, her family's attorney reveals</a></em></p>
<p>"Lastly, my clients were disappointed to see that in its press release Hacienda's leadership chose not to express any remorse or apology for Hacienda's inexcusable failure to protect and safeguard their vulnerable daughter," the statement adds.</p>
<p>The statement was released just hours after <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ap-third-party-to-run-center-where-comatose-woman-had-baby-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">state lawmakers issued an order</a> for the facility to hire an outside manager to oversee day-to-day operations at the Hacienda Skilled Nursing Facility.</p>
<p>If a third-party manager is not hired by January 23, the facility risks losing its state contract, according to <a href="http://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/arizona-news/state-regulators-order-hacienda-healthcare-to-find-3rd-party-manager-by-january-23" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox 10</a>.</p>
<p>INSIDER also asked Hacienda to weigh in on the family's statement, but they did not issue a response to that.&nbsp;</p>
<p><em><strong>Editor's Note:</strong> This story has been updated to clarify the woman is more cognizant than was initially reported. The family's attorney told INSIDER on January 22 that she is cognitively impaired and has significant intellectual disabilities, but she can make some movements and facial gestures.</em></p>
<ul class="read-more-links">
<li>
<ul class="read-more-links">
<li>Read more:</li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-new-assault-investigation-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Police are investigating a second assault accusation at the Arizona care facility where a cognitively-impaired woman gave birth</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-doctors-out-amid-patient-assault-investigation-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">A doctor who cared for a woman who gave birth after a suspected rape at an Arizona care center has been suspended, and another has resigned</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/woman-in-vegetative-state-gives-birth-prompting-investigation-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">Police are investigating a possible sexual assault after a cognitively-impaired woman gave birth at an Arizona care facility</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/woman-in-vegetative-state-disabled-raped-with-shocking-frequency-2019-1" data-read-more-link="" data-e2e-name="read-more-link">The cognitively-impaired woman who gave birth at an Arizona care facility has given a face to an issue that happens with disturbing frequency</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul><p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/hacienda-healthcare-new-assault-investigation-2019-1#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/lucali-most-legendary-pizza-place-brooklyn-2019-3">Here's why Lucali is the most legendary pizza restaurant in Brooklyn</a></p>